


Harmonized Mistmatch

by RubinaLadybug



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fantasy, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:55:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 53,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25048024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RubinaLadybug/pseuds/RubinaLadybug
Summary: Alternative Universe. A powerful wizard is in search of gathering and training powerful magicians in order to form the perfect squad of apprentices. Meanwhile, after Yugi was in an accident, Yami can't help but feel responsible for it. While watching over his friend, Yami notices some strange events occurring within him as well as around him. Will this new powerful force interfere with the lives of Yugi and Yami? What will Yami be able to do about it?
Kudos: 4





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Fanfiction. My first AU chapter fic for this anime. A little slow but a fun read. Enjoy!

**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

"Hey, Yami," greeted a tall girl with short, brown hair at a convenient store. "What's up?"

"Oh, hello, Tea," a teen with tri-color hair and narrow purple eyes greeted back. "I'm only picking up some ice."

"For Yugi's fever?" she asked with concern.

"Yeah," Yami answered, feeling distraught about the situation.

"Don't worry," Tea assured with a smile after a moment of silence. "I'm sure he'll feel better soon."

"It's not _that_ I'm worried about…" Yami sighed.

"Who's looking after him right now?" Tea asked, changing the subject for the better. "Isn't his grandpa still on vacation?"

Yami nodded, "That's right. Joey and Tristan offered to look after Yugi. They said I should get some exercise and out of the house by picking up the ice."

"I see," Tea remarked. "It was Yugi's idea for his grandpa to go on vacation by himself, wasn't it?"

Yami nodded once more, "Yugi said we'd be all right. For the most part we were fine until Yugi went out into the rain and contracted a fever."

Tea smiled once more and winked, "Maybe right now Yugi needs a feminine touch around the place."

The two grabbed a sack of ice together and headed back to the Turtle Game Shop. They entered the den expecting to find their two friends arguing over some little details that really meant nothing whatsoever. However, they became surprise finding their vertically-challenged friend was up, too, playing a game of checkers.

"Yugi! What are you doing out of bed!" Yami shrieked, startling everyone.

The young boy dropped his checker piece and gripped his shirt on the same side as his heart feeling a sharp pain forming.

The older boy dropped the ice and ran towards the younger boy's side to ensure his wellbeing.

"Oh, hi, Yami." Yugi tried to greet with a nervous smile as the discomfort slowly diminished.

"Don't _hi_ me! You need to rest!" Yami scolded.

"Err… Sorry, Yami," Joey apologized. "We thought a little easy game would help Yugi out."

"I told them they shouldn't play while Yugi was sick." Tristan explained innocently.

"You did not!" Joey yelled back.

"Guys! Cool it!" Tea ordered, breaking up the argument.

The two boys walked in opposite directions furiously.

"Just one last thing," Yugi said as he stood up feeling better.

"King me," he claimed blissfully as he moved one of his pieces to the other side of the board but also managed to jump Joey's last piece.

The blonde ran back to the board and cried out in disbelief.

"Wow, even while he's sick, he can still win." Tristan commented.

"Ok, you won," Yami remarked. "Now back upstairs to bed."

Yugi nodded and did as he was told.

"Don't you think you're being just a little too overly protective?" Tristan asked Yami after the door to Yugi's room closed.

Yami sighed, "I just want to be sure he's ok."

"Everything's going to be fine," Tea insisted. "But you also need to make sure to take care of yourself."

"Yeah," Joey agreed. "Have you been sleeping ok?"

Yami shook his head.

"Everyone is here to help out, so why don't you take a nap?" Tea advised.

Yami chuckled and agreed. Lying himself on the couch, he was fine with the idea.

Joey took up the bag of ice and Tristan followed him as he carried a clean cloth.

Tea walked into the kitchen to prepare some tea for everyone.

Yami smiled, grateful for his friends' help.

* * *

Standing in his room alone, Yugi popped two pills into his mouth and swallowed them with water from a small glass.

"I wish Yami wouldn't worry so much," he mumbled to himself as he placed down his cup on his cluttered desk of action figures and models. His train of thought was interrupted with a cough.

He placed one hand into a fist to cough into, and the other he used to hold on to his shirt. He felt a strong hold of agony emit from his chest. When the fit was over, Yugi stood with his back hunched over slightly. He breathed heavily while he placed both fists over his heart.

"I… I hope I can get… better… soon," the young boy stuttered as he opened his shirt a little. He rubbed his chest to comfort his ache. His fingers ran over his smooth skin, but he stopped as he felt the bumps from his stitches right over his heart. Depression entered his being as he thought back to an accident he was in not too long ago.

There was a knock at the door.

Yugi quickly buttoned up his shirt and hopped into bed.

Joey and Tristan entered the room with smiles on their faces.

"Sorry Yami yelled at you both." Yugi said as he sat up straight.

"Forget about it," Joey tried to comfort as he placed fresh ice into a large bowl of water.

"You just needed some time out of bed," Tristan commented as he placed in a clean cloth to soak up water. He rung the cloth and placed it on his friend after Yugi's back was against the mattress.

"I think that game helped lower my fever." Yugi commented.

"Good," Joey agreed. "It looked like you would have died of boredom with you just lying in bed and having no fun."

"Yeah, it was a nice distraction," Yugi smiled.

"But you know Yami just wants what's best for you." Tristan reminded gently.

The boy nodded and whispered, "I know."

His smile faded as he thought back to a previous day. He and Yami were making lunch, but they were out of bread. Yugi offered to go buy some even though it was raining out. The older boy did not want his friend to go out and become sick, but the young teen insisted he'd be all right. However, the same teen did not take a jacket or an umbrella.

As Yugi shut his eyes, he apologized in his mind tiredly, " _Sorry… for not listening to you… Yami_."

* * *

Yami fell asleep peacefully on the couch, but his face soon turned to worry.

Yami's Dream

Two boys were coming back from the library after spending their time studying. The sun shone dimly while being blocked by many clouds that slowly moved across the sky, giving the impression a storm could come. A breeze passed by, causing the two boys to feel the cold sensation within their body.

"You think you're ready now for your biology report?" Yami asked, examining the spines of the books they had checked out.

"Yep," Yugi answered cheerfully. "But I can't wait to get home. I'm hungry!"

Yami laughed, "Let's hurry up then!"

They waited patiently for the light to change on the crosswalk. When the symbol for walking came on, the two strolled from the sidewalk and onto the road. Suddenly, a car appeared out of nowhere. The vehicle was moving very fast and out of control. Yugi saw this but there was no time to warn his friend to move. Quickly, he ran and pushed the older boy out of the way.

Yugi was the one the moving vehicle struck.

Glass shattered everywhere.

Yami slid against one of the shards and yelled out in pain. Immediately, he looked around desperately as he searched for Yugi. He turned confused about the situation, but he knew he had to find his friend right away.

"Yugi!" Yami called out several times, trying to hear if his friend was all right or would even call back.

After gaining strength to stand up, Yami ran over when he finally saw a body against the ground not too far from where he was. He held his arm by his other hand as blood cascaded out of the veins and onto the asphalt. Despite the pain, he was not concerned with his own injuries as he sprinted on.

Yami looked down at Yugi and started to cry. Blood shot from the small boy's head and chest.

"Yugi! Are you all right!?" Yami cried out as he knelt down and carefully picked up the small boy's body.

Bit by bit, Yugi opened his eyes half way. They were filled with peace. He looked into Yami's, who was filled with terror and sorrow. Yugi smiled his usual smile, relieved that the older boy was not harmed by the vehicle. He slowly shut his relaxing orbs, and his body went limp.

"Yugi! Hold on!" Yami yelled out as off in the distance an ambulance rang its sirens.

End Yami's dream

Yami flashed his eyes opened with sweat pouring down his face. He sat up and rubbed his arm that once had been dressed by a bandage.

"That dream," Yami mumbled to himself. "No... That reality."

He placed his face into his palms as memories poured into his mind of the dreadful day he wanted to forget.

Flashback

After reviewing the scene, the police had confirmed the driver was intoxicated. He was arrested and sent to prison, but Yugi was the one who paid the heavy price.

Everyone else received the message and waited at the hospital to see if their friend would make it out alive. Yami comforted Tea as she leaned against him sobbing. He did not have anything to say. He looked at the gauze wrapped around his injured arm.

" _Yugi sacrificed himself to save me_ ," Yami reflected sadly.

Time moved slowly as anxiety struck everyone. They were surrounded by people, but they all felt alone. There were, however, others within the same situation. Some were waiting to hear the news about a love one that had needed medical attention. Looking around, Yami saw the adults wore seldom emotions upon their faces. He was fascinated with the children who climbed over the seats or had fun looking at the pretty colors found in the magazines.

" _Why are they all so carefree?_ " he observed since he was very worried knowing someone he cared about was in the ER. " _Don't they know that they may never see their love ones again?_ "

He immediately shook his head. " _No! Yugi will pull through! He's too strong to be taken away from this!_ "

Eventually the group was granted permission to see their small buddy. Yami was the first person to walk into a white room. His heart almost stopped beating at the sight he saw: Lying still on a mattress was a small teen whose face was bandaged up, had wires placed in his arms, and a mask of oxygen set on his face.

Everyone felt torn inside. Someone so innocent and pure was placed in the Emergency Room because a fool took a car out while drunk. Slowly, Yami walked towards the bed. He still could not believe what was within his view.

All were relieved they were told Yugi would be fine. However, the doctor informed them the boy had to have surgery on his heart because some damage was done to it caused by the great impact by the car as well as the glass shards that flew everywhere. It may be a few days before he would even wake up.

Yami clearly heard what the doctor stated, but all he could do was just wait and see if his friend would ever wake up. After the professional left, Yami sat down on a chair placed by the bed. He did not have any more tears to shed but remained filled with anxiety, concern, guilt, and sorrow. He grabbed the young boy's hand not covered in wires.

Yami squeezed his friend’s hand as he shut his eyes and prayed, " _Yugi… Please be all right… We all need you… I need you… I want to see your smiling face once more…_ "

Just then, he picked up a strong sensation within his body. He felt a warm glow from within, but it slowly diminished. He felt Yugi's hand turn from cold to warm. The young boy on the bed slowly opened his eyes.

Everyone smiled as their friend managed to survive such a vicious accident.

The first thing Yugi spotted was Yami. His vision around him was blurry, but he clearly saw the face of his friend.

Yami grew shocked witnessing what had just happened.

The boy smiled affectionately, glad to know his friend was all right. It was the same smile Yami had seen right before Yugi passed out, but it was the same heartfelt one he had yearned to see again. Yami smiled back, but inside he felt crestfallen knowing Yugi was the one who took the hit.

"Hey… everyone…" Yugi managed to gasp through his mask with his usual cheerful smile.

End flashback

"Everything ok?" a voice asked breaking through Yami's thoughts. He looked up and saw that Tea was offering him a warm cup of tea.

"I was just… thinking…" Yami explained as he accepted the drink.

"About the accident," Tea guessed as she sat next to Yami, who stayed mute. She sighed and reminded gently, "We keep telling you this, it's not yours or Yugi's fault."

" _Then why do I feel guilty about it?_ " Yami thought as he stood up, placing his drink on the coffee table.

The girl assumed it would be best to change the subject. "What have you two been eating for the past few days for dinner? Maybe I can help make something?"

Yami did not answer as the two heard the boys returned from Yugi's room.

"It's all good," Joey informed. "He's asleep right now."

"Which means he'll be hungry when he wakes up." Tristan brought up.

"Then what do you want for dinner?" Tea directed her question at Yami. "I don't trust you around the stove or oven just yet."

Yami placed his hands in his pockets as he walked upstairs. His bangs covered his features as he answered quietly, "I'll be fine with whatever everyone else wants."

Tea watched with concern as the older boy left. She was aware about his feelings of guilt, and she had tried everything to cheer him up, but nothing worked.

" _What can I do to help?_ "

She wanted to assist her two friends dealing with this accident and drama.

"…Did you hear what we said, Tea?" Tristan asked, breaking through the girl's thoughts.

"What," she mumbled as turned her attention towards her other friends.

"Joey is whining that he wants pizza." Tristan repeated in an annoyed tone.

"What's wrong with that?" Joey asked stubbornly. "Pizza is awesome!"

"Ick!" Tea complained. "Don't you know how many calories and grease is in that stuff?"

"Not of we make it ourselves." Tristan noted. "If we get the supplies from a grocery store, we can make it taste better."

"Yeah!" Joey agreed excitedly. "If we all make it together, I'm sure Yami can take his mind off of Yug bein' sick and all!"

"That really does sound like a good idea," Tea agreed.

"Great! Joey and I will go get the stuff!" Tristan volunteered.

The group walked into the kitchen to see what supplies they needed. Once the list was made, the two boys walked off outside and on their way to their destination.

* * *

The door to Yugi's room slowly opened. Yami peaked in a bit, so he would not disturb his friend. He quietly walked into the room and swiftly closed the door behind him. He strolled over to a folding chair placed beside Yugi's bed and sat on it.

No light shone in the room as the sun played hide and seek behind many clouds outside. The older boy peered over and watched his friend sleeping peacefully. There was nothing he could say, and his mind, for the most part, was blank. He only watched as Yugi's chest would gently rise and fall like gently waves in the ocean with each breath he took.

He sighed quietly, " _Perhaps that game of checkers worked well for him. He is sleeping ok…. I suppose everyone is right; I should allow Yugi to relax a bit and not be so stern._ "

He leaned over and gently touched his friend's cheek.

" _His fevers gone down_ ," he observed happily.

After continuing to watch his friend in peace, Yami heard someone enter the room. He turned around and saw Tea.

"How is he," she asked as she entered the room.

"I believe he's better." Yami answered.

Tea smiled, "I'll bet that childish game really helped him."

Yami turned his focus back on Yugi and agreed.

"And I also bet you haven't been eating a whole lot yourself," she remarked. "Am I right?"

Yami's smile slowly faded. He had not been taking care of himself like he knew he should have. He was much too focused on Yugi to do so.

"That's all right," she comforted. "Joey and Tristan are going to pick something up for all of us. I'm sure you and Yugi should be fine with it."

"And what exactly is _it_?" Yami asked with a small chuckle.

Before Tea could answer, the two friends saw their small companion waking up.

"Yugi," Yami said with surprise and joy. "How are you feeling now?"

Yugi gathered his stamina, smiled, and replied, "Fine."

Addressing the two, Tea asked, "Well, are you two up for pizza?"

Yami grew bewildered as to what was just asked, but Yugi continued to smile as he nodded.

"Of course, we'll be making it as I'm sure that it'll be a lot more fun for all of us," she explained cheerfully.

The small teen pulled off his covers. Yami stood up and assisted his pal to stand.

As the group walked down the steps, they heard their other two friends arrive with the supplies.

"Let's get cooking!" Joey laughed at his own cleverness.

Yugi laughed a little while Tea and Tristan were not at all impressed with the play on words.

Yami only smiled as he was glad everything seemed to be going well.

* * *

Somewhere outside of Domino City, a man wearing a brown robe with a hood covering his face stood in the center of the road. He was lost in his own world when someone yelled at him, "Get out of the road!"

The man turned and spotted a young man driving a slick new sports car with red and white custom paint. The driver was very impatient to drive freely once more. He grew annoyed. He only snapped his fingers, and the car with charcoal tires lifted into the air.

"What's going on!" the young driver exclaimed with confusion. He was then tossed aside, and the vehicle landed in an open area. Before the machine hit the ground, the driver flew out as he was not wearing his seat belt. He yelled as he fell and landed on grass. Quickly, he fled for his life.

"I sense some powerful wizards in this area," the mysterious man said as he removed his hood. His hair was brown with green bangs. His eyes carried a misty red glow to them. He mumbled to himself, "I require them for my task."

**To be continued…**


	2. Matters Becoming Worse

**Chapter 2: Matters Becoming Worse**

The group of friends soon departed after eating dinner.

The two boys remained in the kitchen as they finished throwing away useless trash of paper plates and cups, and placing leftovers in the fridge.

"Good thing Tristan bought extra supplies." Yugi laughed as he took a seat on a chair. "Otherwise we would've had to have burnt pizza for dinner!"

Yami only smiled as he placed a cooking tray into the sink. He figured since he was too tired he'd deal with the dish washing in the morning. He turned around, and his smile faded eying his small friend leaning over the table and holding his head up with his hand. He briskly walked over and grabbed hold of Yugi's shoulder to prevent him from falling. He took one hand and placed on Yugi's cheek.

" _He feels a bit warmer but not too bad_ ," he observed.

Yugi removed his own hand from his face. He spotted the worried expression on Yami's face.

"I'm fine." Yugi smiled, trying not to worry his friend. "Guess I'm just tired."

"It was a long day for the both of us," Yami tried to comfort. "Let's go to bed now."

He continued to hold the smaller boy by his shoulders as he assisted Yugi up the stairs and into the bedroom. Yugi felt his vision become blurrier but only shrugged it off.

" _Nothing to worry about_ ," he tried to reason with himself. " _I just need some sleep_."

As the two entered Yugi's room, Yami helped Yugi into bed. After the younger boy lied against the mattress, Yami placed a cool cloth onto his pal's forehead. Yugi smiled at his friend, and Yami smiled back. Yugi closed his eyes and went to sleep feeling exhausted but also glad.

The taller boy stayed up a bit longer. He looked out the room's window. He sensed something strange. He had an uneasy feeling about it, but he could not determine the reason behind it. He shook his head and returned to his first concern, taking care of his friend.

He sat in his usual chair to watch over his friend. Guilt entered into his mind once more. He felt responsible for Yugi contradicting a fever and was aware the extra stress effecting Yugi's already damaged heart muscle.

"Yugi," he whispered in grief. "I'm sorry."

He later dozed off in his seat.

Yugi awoke a few hours later. He turned his head and saw Yami sleeping. His emotion changed realizing how much work his companion endured just to take care of him. Yugi closed his eyes and became determine to overcome his illness to no longer cause distress for anyone. Little did he know the task would be harder than what he thought.

Yugi awoke first the next morning. He tried to sit up but was straining to do so. He placed one hand on his forehead and felt far warmer than last night. His entire body was shivering.

Yami awoke within his place and, while still groggy, noticed Yugi was awake but not looking well like he did the previous day. He stood up and walked over to the smaller teen. He placed one hand on Yugi's cheek and felt the change in body temperature. He gazed down and noticed Yugi only had one blanket to keep him comfortable. He looked outside. The trees had lost their leaves, and all around him he could feel his body becoming chilly.

"Are you warm enough? Should I get you another blanket?" he asked with great concern for the health of his ill friend.

Yugi glanced over in the direction of Yami. He promised he would recover, but at the same time he did not want to be a burden. The act proved difficult as performing a simple task, such as sitting up, was problematic. He laughed a little, "No, I'm fine."

"How about some warm tea, then? It's becoming a little chilly outside with the weather turning cooler." Yami observed.

The teen was quiet as he thought about his option.

"Actually," he began. "That does sound good."

"Ok then, I'll bring you some." Yami said as he headed for the door.

Yugi watched as Yami left. He waited a few seconds to ensure the coast was clear. He then flipped on his side and began to have a horrific coughing fit. He gripped his shirt with one hand and coughed harsh hacks within his other made into a first. Within each phase, he felt the sting overtaking his system, causing complete pain.

" _This hurts so much_ ," he thought as he continued on with his episode.

When done, he longed for some water. His throat turned completely dry, and his chest hurt with great agony.

" _It's as though… my chest… is on fire…_ " he thought as he turned himself over on his back. He struggled for the past day trying not to worry Yami. He always ensured Yami was out of hearing distance before entering into such an event.

" _I mustn't… worry him…_ " Yugi closed his eyes as he wheezed. " _There's already so much on his mind… but hopefully… I'll get better… soon_ …"

He relaxed in place for a few minutes when something disturbed his rest. He sat straight up and looked over at the floor. A dark whirlpool from the floor caught his eye.

"What?" he gasped confused as he looked over his mattress.

Suddenly, a figure slowly formed straight out of the mixture of purple, black, and blue. A man appeared wearing a dark brown robe with a hood covering his face. He removed his hood to reveal himself having fair skin and brown hair with green bangs.

"Who are you?" Yugi asked nervously, frightened about the unknown visitor in his room.

The man looked around the teen's room. There was nothing more than a boy sitting in his bed, a desk covered in action figures, a bookshelf with comic books, and a closed closet.

"I don't sense any strong magic in here," he mumbled to himself.

"Who are you?" Yugi asked the man once more.

The mysterious visitor looked over at Yugi.

The teen felt a cold, evil stare coming from the man as he saw his deep brown eyes meeting with his own purple ones. Suddenly, he felt his body lifting up from under his covers.

"What?" he questioned surprised. "What's going on? What are you doing to me? Yam—"

He was cut off as the man said, "You talk too much."

And as he did, Yugi could no longer use his voice.

" _What… what did he do to me?!_ " Yugi turned terrified. He could not call out for help, and his fever was causing his body to shiver and become faint.

"I sense little magic within you," the man stated his observation. "But you are far too weak physically to even cast a simple spell. Your heart has been damaged by an accident, and your body is losing a fight against an illness. I doubt you'll even make it through this coming winter."

Yugi's eyes widened at the statement. He noticed he had become more and more fatigued during the past few hours of the night and early morning. He wondered if his time had finally come.

" _No!_ " Yugi screamed within his head as he struggled to break free. He did not want someone to come and pronounce his date was approaching. He did not want to leave behind all of his friends who cared so much about him.

"Hmm… I see you have a strong, pure soul," the man noted with fascination. "That is indeed rare, especially in today's world. Perhaps you will have some sort of use after all."

Yugi continued his attempt to break free. However, with each struggle, he found it harder and harder to move. His entire body stopped listening to his brain and just went limp.

" _Help me… Yami._ "

Tears flew down from his face, feeling completely powerless to stop the man from causing harm.

"However, I'll just keep you here," the man announced.

Yugi opened one of his eyes halfway but still had tears cascading down.

"I doubt you'll get far in your condition," the man explained. "I still need to find other magicians to help me with my quest."

He raised his right hand and moved it slowly towards Yugi.

The teen shut his eyes as he prepared himself mentally to feel an unpleasant sting. His entire body quaked in fear as he could not break away. When he did not feel anything touching him, he opened his eyes to see the man's finger pointing at his chest. The man's finger started to glow an eerie green.

"I shall place upon your body my crest.” the man said calmly. “That way, no matter where you go, you'll always be under my command."

Yugi grew confused by his situation, unclear what his enemy spoke about. He gasped as his shirt unbuttoned itself and flung wide open.

" _No!_ " Yugi cried out as he felt his ill body unable to deal with the sudden change in temperature.

Soon, he felt a sharp sting from his chest; as though a strong burn from a flame on a skewer was forming a tattoo on his body. Regardless of how much he wanted to cry out in pain, he could not. He could only allow tears to fall down his cheeks and wait for it all to be over. He slowly opened one eye part way. He looked at his chest and his eyes unlocked quickly seeing a strange symbol coming over his stitches. On top of them were four small triangles with the narrow, pointy ends facing the opposite way of each other enclosed in a circle. He trembled in fear and confusion.

"To give you an example of my power," the man began, "I command you to laugh."

The seal on Yugi glowed a mysterious mixture of violet and dark pink. He winced in pain but then couldn't help but laugh. Although he could still not use his voice, he felt the same sensation happen throughout his body as though someone was tickling him.

" _How… how can I be… laughing… at a time like… this!?_ "

"Now then… just sleep." the man commanded after knowing the young lad grew aware of his power.

Yugi underwent an uncomfortable encounter entering his body. His entire form no longer felt limp, nor did he feel the sensation of an uncomfortable laughter; he just felt very heavy. His eyes became blurry, and his mind grew dizzy and disoriented. He tried to fight off the affect but couldn't keep up with all that was happening within him as well as around him.

The man smirked as he explained, "This is only a simple spell, but since the illness within you is taking a toll on you, you don't have any chance of fighting this off. However, I will not cure you of your little disease as I believe this will be the key to drawing out someone with powerful magic."

The young teen was still unaware of what the mysterious man was speaking of. The last thing he saw before blacking out was the man's arrogant, evil smile.

Yugi's eyes shut as he tried to call out once last time for help. Even though he could not think clearly, his thoughts sounded more like faint whispers.

After being left alone in the darkness, he suddenly head someone calling his name.

"Yugi! Yugi!"

The familiar voice was filled with confidence and concern.

The teen flashed open his eyes, and they came into contact with another set of purple eyes. Yugi grew disoriented about what happened. He heard a sigh of relief and someone saying, "Good, you're awake."

He rattled his mind together and realized Yami woke him up. He stayed quiet and allowed his friend to explain, "I had the tea ready, but by the time I came back you were asleep. I allowed you to rest, but you started to look scared. I assumed it was a nightmare, so I tried to wake you up."

Yugi was lost for words; he pondered if he had been in was just a dream. Thinking back, he trembled out of not only being frightened but also of being a little cold.

"It's all right," Yami soothed as he embraced Yugi. "I'm here. The nightmare’s over."

Yugi accepted the comfort he received. However, in the care of his friend he remained very perplexed. He wondered if he should tell him his dream.

He opened his mouth as he tried to say something, "Yami… I—" but he was soon cut off as he coughed once more. He broke away from Yami's hold as he turned over to his side away from his friend and continued on with his episode.

"Yugi!" Yami called out, placing a firm hold of his sick friend by his shoulders. He felt powerless he could not do anything.

Soon, Yugi stopped coughing but his body stayed crunched together, his face soaked with pain.

" _Un… What's… what's wrong with… me…_ " he thought as he inhaled and exhaled rapidly.

"Yugi! Are you all right?!" Yami called out, filled with anxiety. He was unsure of how to assist his friend.

Yugi opened his eyes half way as he swallowed a hard lump in his throat. He struggled to whisper, "Yeah… I'm fine."

He tried to roll himself onto his back, but he couldn't; he did not have any energy to move any parts of his body. His eyes were growing heavier and heavier. He couldn't keep them opened.

"I just need to… sleep…" he whispered hoarsely as he closed his eyes shut completely.

"Yugi," Yami said quietly.

Cautiously, he rolled his friend onto his back. He looked at Yugi, who wheezed as he slept. He gently placed one hand on top of Yugi's forehead.

" _He's burning up_." Yami observed nervously. He quickly took the washcloth from the bowl filled with room temperature water and placed it on Yugi's forehead. He figured it would be best to stay with Yugi to ensure nothing else happens.

Sitting on the chair, he squeezed his hands together while holding a basic deck of playing cards. He sighed quietly, " _I was also looking for an old deck. I was hoping we could play an easy game of cards to help make you feel better… but I guess that'll have to wait_."

The young boy slept without any disruption for the next hour or so.

The older boy abided in place. While waiting, he would take the cloth, allow it to soak up cool water, and place it back on the small boy's forehead. After spending the hour filled with worry as the fever was not lowering, Yami dozed off while sitting in the chair due to him neglecting his other natural needs, such as sleep

Soon after resting, Yugi finally woke up. He found himself on his back against the mattress along with the familiar sensation of having a cold pack on his head. He was pleased to know he could move more parts of his body easily. His entire figure stayed exhausted, and any attempt to move underneath the covers would cause him agony.

Yugi sighed with dissatisfaction as he lowered his eyes halfway. He turned his neck a little towards his side. In his hazy view he saw his friend asleep in his chair, but he continued to stay by his side. Yugi smiled, glad to know Yami was still there for him. He experienced sleepiness wanting to take control once more.

" _Dizzy… hot… need sleep…_ "

Yugi decided to just welcome it and went back to sleep.

The older boy awoke sometime after. He stood up and placed his hand on his friend's cheek.

"Still no change," he mumbled. He felt his own stomach growling a little, asking for food. He wanted to go downstairs and fix himself and Yugi a snack, but he was afraid to leave Yugi's side.

"What if he has another nightmare?" Yami argued with himself. "Will he be able to hold the food down?"

His attention was cut hearing someone climbing up the stairs. He turned to see the door open and his friend Tea arrived.

"Good morning," she greeted with a smile. "How is Yugi feeling?"

The tall boy returned his gazed towards his ill friend and mumbled honestly, "Not at all well."

The female teen’s smile faded. She had handled problems in the past of taking care of her friends who caught a fever, but this seemed far worse.

Both of their concentrations were interrupted when the two heard another set of footsteps coming up the stairs.

"What's up," Tristan greeted quietly. "I brought over some orange juice to help out."

"And I picked up another bag of ice," Joey said as he walked into the room.

"Thanks, guys." Tea smiled with gratitude.

Yami only nodded, grateful for his friend's help, but he stayed worried about Yugi.

All teens looked at Yami then at each other. They observed his appearance had changed rapidly due to his distress he constantly underwent. They knew he was neglecting proper sleep and had not been eating as much. He only took a few bites of his pizza the other night, and chances were he hadn't had breakfast yet either.

"Yami, you've been watching Yugi too long already," Tea said after a moment of quiet. "Why don't you go lie down?"

Yami did not remove his glance towards the small boy who continued to sleep. Deep down he was afraid to leave, but he couldn't bring himself to admit it.

"I think that's a good idea," Joey agreed. "We could all take turns watching him, and we'll let you know if anything's changed."

Another moment of silence fell on the group. They waited anxiously for their friend's answer.

"All right," Yami reluctantly accepted. He and Tea slowly but quietly left the room.

"I'll take the first shift," Joey volunteered himself.

"Ok, then," Tristan said as he started to head towards the door. Before he did, both boys saw Yugi waking up.

"Hey, Yug," Joey greeted quietly with a smile. "How do you feel?"

Yugi took a moment to examine himself, and he felt every part of him ached, crying out for more sleep. He turned his head towards his side and saw two of his friends watching over him. Not wanting to worry them, he smiled and answered quietly, "I'm fine."

He wanted to sit up but had too little strength to achieve such an easy task.

Joey placed one hand on his friend's shoulder; he did not want his friend to move around too much.

Yugi's smile faded asking, "Where's Yami?"

"He finally went to sleep," Tristan replied. "Do you want me to go get him?"

Yugi shook his head, "If he's asleep then let him sleep. I know he's been occupied with watching over me."

"Ok, then," Joey noted. "Tea's here, too. She's downstairs making sure this house doesn't fall apart."

Yugi grew amused by that, but he soon felt guilty. He closed his eyes. He wanted to step out of bed and thank her personally for all the work she had been doing but couldn't. He felt too weak.

"If you want to sleep some more, then go ahead," Joey encouraged as he, too, wanted his friend to recover.

"I will," Yugi said as he reopened his eyes. He tried to sit up once more and explained, "But I need to use the bathroom first."

"Ok, then," Joey and Tristan agreed.

Each teen grabbed their friend's shoulders and arms, and they gently lifted him. Joey held on to Yugi as the group walked down the hall towards the bathroom. Arriving in front of the closed door, Yugi insisted he had enough strength to stand on his own. After relieving himself, he went over to the sink. As he washed his hands, he took a good look at himself in the mirror.

"No wonder everyone is worried about me," he mumbled dismally. His eyes were dull and held dark circles under them. His complexion was lighter than normal, and his face looked thin. He closed his pupils as he thought sadly to himself, " _Was that all just a dream or was it telling the future? Am I really going to di—_ "

He placed himself over the counter to rest as he coughed roughly once more. He closed his eyes and cringed in pain as the hacking ached his muscle. He was fed up with his body reacting the same way to coughing and having everything sore, but nothing could be done except rest.

After a short pause, Yugi slowly unbuttoned his shirt. He looked at himself and then towards the mirror. He did not see any signs of that strange symbol on his flesh or on his reflection. He rubbed his sore chest. The only parts he felt were his skin and stitches. He sighed with relief as he buttoned up is shirt. He felt his stomach becoming upset. He quickly moved to the toilet, knelt down onto the ground, and leaned over.

"Yug! Everything ok?" the blonde asked. He placed his ear on the door and heard his friend throwing up. He swiftly opened the door and both teens quickly stepped through.

They became surprised seeing their friend vomiting, but they calmly knelt down and grabbed hold of their small friend once more by his shoulders.

When he was done, the small teen looked away from his bile floating in the dirty water. He had his eyes shut with shallow tears emitting from them. His shoulders moved up and down as he wheezed rapidly.

"You feel better?" Tristan asked.

Yugi swallowed a hard lump in his throat and nodded his head.

"Alrighty," Joey announced. "On the count of three, me and Tristan will lift you up. Ready?"

Yugi continued to wheeze but eventually nodded.

"Three!" the two teens exclaimed at the same time as they swiftly, yet gently, lifted their buddy up.

They continued to hold on to Yugi as the group carefully walked down the hall.

The small teen felt his vision becoming blurry. He told himself to stay awake for a bit longer. With each step he took, Yugi felt his body aching, like he had just fallen from a very high building and landed on his feet. But worse off all, the entire strain was effecting his heart the most. He felt he would pass out any moment from the pain. As they all reached the room, the blonde and brunette helped their friend back into bed. Yugi was relieved to finally sit on his comfortable mattress.

"I see you're up," a female voice said. All boys turned around and saw their female friend come in with a glass of orange juice in her hand.

"You think you can hold down a little juice?" she asked.

Yugi nodded and smiled weakly. He accepted the glass and drank the liquid slowly, trying his best to not choke.

Tea took back the cup and remarked, "At least you're able to have something."

Yugi stayed silent. He was growing wearier and wearier, but he managed to nod his head.

Everyone became worried.

Tea walked over to her friend and placed her hand on his forehead.

" _He's still burning up_ ," she noted with great anxiety. She saw Yugi's expression. He looked away, but his eyes were filled with sadness and guilt. She smiled and encouraged, "I'm sure all you need to do is to keep sleeping and taking your medicine."

Yugi was about to nod when he felt his body fall.

"Yugi!" Joey called out as he swiftly caught his friend. The blonde observed his friend was looking far from fine. He gently guided the body down to the mattress and allowed his buddy to sleep.

"This is not good," Tristan noted.

"What do we do?!" Joey asked no one in particular. "He's doing everything he can, and yet his fever still ain't going down!"

Tea sighed, "I know."

She walked out of the room with Tristan following her.

Joey walked away as well but stood in the doorway.

Tea looked at the ground with feelings of anxiety and concern swirling around her mind, causing her heart to ache. She and everyone else wanted Yugi feeling better, but everything failed. She was aware Yugi would not want to worry the group, especially his grandfather after finally convincing the old man to take a much needed vacation. There was a possibility something worse was happening within his body. If it was not treated by a professional soon, there could be fatal consequences. There were so many factors to deal with that it turned overwhelming.

At that moment, Tea decided, "If his fever isn't down by tomorrow, then we'll call a doctor and notify Mr. Muto."

The two other teens looked at each other then back at their female friend and nodded.

Down the steps Yami had overheard everything. He woke up not too long ago but remained groggy. He wanted to see how his friend was doing, so he fought it off. After hearing what was decided about Yugi, Yami went back to the couch where he slept and sat down. His own heart stressed out with the anxiety that something worse could be wrong with Yugi.

"But what more can I do?" Yami grunted to himself. Like everyone else, he, too, became frustrated about the situation at hand.

* * *

Up in Yugi's bedroom, the small boy opened his eyes part way once more. He turned over and saw his friends over in the hallway talking and carrying serious looks on their faces. Yugi turned his head towards the opposite side and slowly closed his eyes. His body wanted to rest, but his scattered mind tried to understand all that was happening around him.

" _Lately… I've been so tired. I can barely stay awake. No matter how much sleep I get, I feel like I need more. My entire body aches. I can only move my head slightly, but if I try anything else my body begins to hurt a lot. All of my joints hurt. I can't even eat as much anymore. I try to eat to please everyone, but whenever I do I just throw it back up._

“ _I'm sure this is making them all worry. I'm sorry, everyone. I don't mean to be a burden…. If I could go back in time… I would have taken a jacket… and the umbrella, too._ "

His thoughts were interrupted for a second as he coughed a little. But due to his condition, even the slightest hack was painful.

" _Un! Every time I cough, it hurts my chest a lot…. Perhaps… I should have allowed Yami to go get the bread. He offered to… I'm sure he was just worried about me… I'm sorry, Yami_."

**To be continued….**


	3. Cured But Still In Danger

**Chapter 3: Cured But Still In Danger**

Yami changed his position on the couch from sitting up to lying down. He covered his face with his arm as he tried over and over to become comfortable. It was not his turn to watch Yugi, and the other teens forbade him to enter. Yami tried to obtain more sleep, but he couldn't; his mind was bombarded with ideas of something else being wrong with his small companion.

" _What will I do if I can't see your smiling face anymore?_ " the older boy thought sadly to himself. He shifted back to sitting up seeing Tea checking in on him. He only sighed as Tea took a seat and remained silent.

"I know you're all worried about Yugi like I am." Yami stated quietly but firmly.

The female teen did still not speak; she agreed as she was the one who made the important decision involving Yugi. She continued to listen.

"Why don't you all sleep here tonight," Yami offered sincerely. "None of us will sleep well tonight, and if something does happen…" Yami swallowed a hard lump in his throat. "If something does happen to Yugi in the late night, I will need everyone's help."

"That does sound like a good plan," Tristan agreed as he stepped down from the stairs. "Tea can have the other bedroom while me and Joey sleep down here."

Yami and Tea nodded.

Throughout the day, everyone took turns watching over Yugi. Yami decided for himself he would stay awake all night. He tried to obtain as much sleep as he could during the day and evening. He would toss and turn on the couch trying to rest, but his mind and heart became rigged with anxiety for his companion. Although he pretended to sleep, he faintly saw the worried expression worn by everyone.

Time slowly passed by, but eventually night fell and Yami's turn finally arrived. He walked up the stairs and entered Yugi's room. Silently, he strolled in and stopped at the side of Yugi's bed. Gazing at his vertically challenged friend's face with crestfallen eyes, he wished fate would smile on them and allow Yugi to recover.

Suddenly, the smaller boy started to wake. He tried to sit up, and Yami swiftly moved to grab his friend to ensure he would not fall over.

"Yugi," Yami whispered trying to assure his ill buddy. "It's ok, I'm here. Go back to sleep."

Yugi took one of his sleeves and wiped his watery eyes. He did not have any strength to argue or even nod. He felt all of his plans to recover backfired. Now he believed he became bedridden, and he had become a burden to everyone around him.

Yami sat down on Yugi's bed next to the teen. He wanted to say something comforting, but nothing came to mind.

" _Is it possible that Yugi might…_ " His thoughts were interrupted hearing Yugi having another coughing fit.

" _If his fever isn't down by tomorrow, then we'll call the doctor and notify Mr. Muto_."

The words of the young, female teen echoed through Yami's mind as he rubbed his friend's back. The small boy's body fell gently beside the older boy's. Yami quickly grabbed hold of his friend to ensure Yugi did not injured himself.

" _He feels warm… too warm_ ," Yami observed unhappily. He gazed down at Yugi and noticed how pale the boy appeared. The small teen was breathing very heavily. He had dark circles under his eyes. He did not look at all well.

"Yugi," Yami whispered sadly. He wanted to place down Yugi back on the mattress to rest, but he grew afraid if he let go he would lose his friend. Although he could not explain it, deep down, he was afraid he would lose Yugi forever.

Just the thought frightened him. Immediately, he tightened his grip even more. He brought Yugi closer to him as he firmly embraced him. He longed to see his friend smiling and laughing like before. He wanted his friend to spend time with all of their other friends, not in bed with an illness.

He tightened his eyes shut as he prayed in his heart, " _Yugi… please… don't leave me…_ "

Suddenly, Yami felt a familiar sensation coming from his body. He was unsure where he felt the familiar presence before, but somewhere deep down he knew it was good. He felt the ecstasy leaving his body. Confused, he gently placed Yugi back on the bed, but he proceeded to hold Yugi's hand, still afraid to let go. He soon, however, felt his body becoming exhausted. Although he tried to fight it, bit by bit, he shut his eyes and fell asleep next to Yugi.

Yami awoke several hours later feeling refreshed.

" _Oh…I must have dozed off_ …" he thought as he sat up. He became surprised finding himself on Yugi's bed. Suddenly, he realized he was in Yugi's bed. Filled with anxiety, he looked around noticing that the other boy was absent.

"Yugi!" Yami cried out as he tried to search for his companion. Not seeing anyone else within the room, he panicked.

He jumped out of bed and ran to the door. He opened it and dashed down the hall. He searched the bathroom and did not see anyone. He bolted to a hallway closet and quickly grabbed a blanket; he wanted to be prepared if he saw Yugi not being warm. The last thing the small boy needed was to catch something else.

Yami raced down the steps and checked the kitchen and still no one was there. He desperately flew to the den and prayed Yugi was there and not outside in the freezing weather. Finally reaching the room, he became shocked at what he saw: On the couch was Yugi eating a banana while flipping through the TV channels with the volume on very low.

Yugi glanced over and saw Yami looking dumbfounded. He swallowed his chunk of fruit he was consuming. He smiled sheepishly and greeted quietly, "Hi."

Yami became relieved Yugi was all right. He then noticed Yugi seemed to be little afraid. He figured the reason behind this was because he was not in bed earlier and was instead playing checkers. Yami smiled as he walked closer to his friend.

"How do you feel?" he asked with a calm tone.

"Better," Yugi replied.

Yami placed one hand on Yugi's forehead and the other on his own forehead to compare body temperature.

" _He's right_ ," Yami noted. " _He doesn't feel as warm like he did before_."

He then sighed as he stated, "If you were hungry, I could have brought you something."

Yugi looked away from Yami and nodded. He feared if Yami did not get enough rest he would contract something terrible like he had. He shut his eyes and replied, "I know… but I didn't want to wake you."

Yami gently placed a blanket over the small teen.

Yugi opened his eyes and looked up at his friend confused.

"If you want to watch TV, you should at least stay warm." Yami explained as he took a seat next to his friend.

After watching a mindless program for a few minutes, Yugi felt his eyes growing heavier. He gently shut them and fell beside his friend on his shoulders.

Yami looked down at his friend and smiled.

"Look who’s up." Tea said quietly as she entered the room.

Yami gazed up to his female friend and smiled.

Yugi lifted his head up from the other boy and smiled as well.

"You feel better?" she asked with concern. She observed her vertically challenged friend and saw his complexion had return to normal, his eyes were full of life, and the dark circles had disappeared.

The small boy nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."

The girl smiled with relief.

"Good morning everyone!" yelled the slow witted blonde as he entered the room.

"Since when are you a morning person?" Tristan asked with a yawn.

Joey ran over towards the couch, grabbed Yugi, and gave him a giant bear hug with one arm.

"I'm just glad to see my buddy here is better!" he explained with joy.

Everyone laughed at the truth as well as at the timing of the moment.

Yugi gazed around at all of his friends and was grateful they stood by his side. They chose to spend the night to secure he did not contract anything worse. His smile faded as he looked away from the group with shame.

"I'm sorry I worried you all."

Everyone turned their attention to their small friend, and Joey loosened his hold. They saw he wore a face of sadness and fault.

Yami's eyes widened a bit. He wanted to speak but was unsure of what to say.

Although it was true everyone was very concerned about their pal and his situation, everyone smiled once more to let him know everything will be all right.

"That's what friends are for," Tea reminded the group with a calm gentle smile.

Yugi gazed up. His purple eyes met with a pair of blue eyes filled with care.

"You're better now and that's what counts." Tristan added.

"But if you insist on an apology," Joey began with his usual grin. "Let's all celebrate by going to the Spider Arcade!"

He reached for his pal once more in a firm, but gently grip.

Everyone started to laugh once more.

Yugi smiled. He turned his eyes towards Yami.

Yami looked over at Yugi, whose eyes were begging to go out and enjoy the day of the house with friends.

The other three teens did the same. Fever or not, everyone knew Yami would still be overprotective about Yugi's main condition.

Yami gazed around at all of his friends who stood by his and Yugi's side throughout the night and other times of crisis.

Yami looked directly at Yugi and asked, "Do you think you're up to it?"

The small teen nodded his head vigorously.

"Yes!" he declared with joy.

Yami smiled and replied, "Then I guess it's all right."

"OK!" everyone cheered.

"I need to go home first, though." Tea stated. "I don't want to go someplace and look like I've just rolled out of bed!"

"Girls," Joey muttered.

"I think it'd be best if we all changed at least." Tristan remarked looking down at his shirt. Although there were no marks or stains, the teen with brunette hair also did not want to look sloppy.

"I agree," Yami said.

"Fine," the blonde boy sighed.

The group departed and decided to meet at the Spider Arcade in two hours.

"Why don't you take a shower first," Yami offered.

"Ok," Yugi agreed.

He blissfully walked upstairs to his room and grabbed a pair of fresh clothes. He then went to the bathroom and hopped into the shower. He was glad knowing he was finally stepping out of the house for some fun.

After drying himself up, he took a look at himself in the mirror. He grew pleased his illness was gone. His smile faded a little looking at his chest. Although he did not see the strange mark on his body, there were only stitches left along with those sad memories.

"If that dream wasn't predicting the future of me dying," Yugi mumbled to himself, "then what was it? And who was that man? What was he talking about?"

His concentration was interrupted hearing a soft knock at the door.

"Yugi, are you almost done?" Yami asked from the outside.

Yugi looked at the closed door and then back at himself. He sighed as he closed his eyes and shook his head, rattling off any negative thoughts.

" _Everything's going to be ok_ ," he told himself. After changing, he opened the door and allowed his friend to go next.

After Yami was done showering and changing, he walked down the steps and saw Yugi was ready to go. Yami was glad to see his friend was better, but he couldn't shake the feeling of something horrible happening.

"Yugi, are you sure you're up to this?" he asked once more but with a more serious tone than it had been before.

Yugi glanced at his companion and saw how worried he was. He smiled and nodded. Seeing how Yami was not fully convinced, he continued to smile and said, "I promise if I do feel dizzy, or if I don't feel well, I'll tell you."

Yami smiled back and nodded, "All right then."

The two of them left the house, and Yami locked the door. As the two boys walked down the path, Yami turned around several times. He could not shake the feeling he was being watched. He sensed something he could not explain. His mind was previously occupied with his companion being ill, but now that the situation was taken care of, he didn‘t know what his new feeling was.

"Is everything ok?" Yugi asked a few buildings away from their destination.

After scanning the area once more, Yami turned his attention towards Yugi. He only nodded and continued walking.

Yugi moved on as well, be he, too, looked back but was unsure of what his friend tried to see.

Not too far from where they were, a man wearing a black trench coat with fair skin and brown hair with green bangs was watching them. He smiled an evil, arrogant smile.

"Don't forget my little pet," he mumbled to himself, eyeing the smaller boy in the pair. "Your bones, your flesh, your blood, your soul… They all belong to me."

He snapped his fingers, wanting to confirm a notion he had.

From where he stood, Yugi suddenly felt a small discomfort coming from his chest. He shut his eyes tightly as he gripped his shirt. The pain he felt was more of a burn than his usual, physical ache.

"Yugi!" Yami called out alarmed. He quickly grabbed hold of his friend firmly by shoulders. He soon felt his own body grow warmer once again. The sensations slowly but more rapidly than last time left his body. The pain the younger teen felt left as quickly as it came.

"Very interesting," the vague man mumbled to himself. He snapped his fingers once more and vanished out of sight promptly.

Yugi opened one of his eyes part way and whispered, "I'm fine."

Yami carefully guided his friend to a metal bench close by. He sat his friend down and then took a seat for himself. He felt a bit lightheaded, but he wanted to ensure Yugi’s wellbeing.

" _Sick or not this is something that cannot be taken care of_." Yami sighed with defeat.

The small teen glanced over at his pal and could tell by his expression how worried he was.

"Really, I'm ok." Yugi tried to reassure Yami. "I did promise I'd tell you if I was feeling dizzy, didn't I?"

The younger teen tried to crack a smile of humor.

Yami was unsure if he should take the risk, but after looking into Yugi's puppy eyes he knew that he could trust Yugi.

After sitting for a few minutes, the two boys continued their stroll to the Spider Arcade.

The group met with each other as planned. The place was filled with mainly kids and young teens playing games and having fun with their friends and peers. All were drawn to the bright lights, attractive characters, and creative game plays.

"Which game should we play first?"

"Hey! There are some new ones over there!"

"I wonder if anyone broke my record?"

"When are we going to eat? I want Ramen!"

Yugi and Joey dashed to the race car games. Yugi picked a blue car while the other teen chose a green car. After racing through a few laps, the smaller teen won the game.

"Wow, you're terrible." Tristan commented sarcastically.

"Shut up man!" Joey spat.

"Come on now," Yugi tried to calm his short tempered buddy. "You almost had me a few times."

"How about another round," the blonde grinned.

"You're on!" Yugi accepted.

After Yugi won once more, the three teens enjoyed seeing their female friend beat another peer in a dancing game. Yami applauded the girl with respect.

"Anyone want to face me?" Tea challenged her small group of friends.

"Uh, no," Joey stammered, a little afraid. "We're good!"

The three boys hurried over to another section of the arcade.

Yami couldn't help but chuckle.

As Tea stepped down from the platform, she said, "I'm thirsty. Let's go get a drink."

"Hey, girly," a tall teen called out to Tea.

The girl and Yami turned their attention towards a peer who wore a cream-colored shirt and purple pants. He had brown eyes and slick, black hair.

"You're pretty good out there," he complimented with a creepy smile. "Care to go on a date with me?"

"Not even if you were the last boy on Earth!" Tea stated in an annoyed voice.

"Aw, come on," the teen whined. "I don't bite!"

Yami stepped forward and restated, "She said no. Now why don't you go ahead and leave."

"Stay out of this weirdo," the teen replied angry.

"This guy bothering you?" Joey asked as everyone gathered around the scene that was being made.

Yami glared over to another game station and said, "Let's make a deal."

Everyone looked over at Yami, who placed his gaming face on.

"Let's play a game of wits and speed over there.” Yami began. “If I win then you leave Tea alone."

The adolescent seemed interested, "Fine. If I win then the chick will have to go on a date with me!"

The two opponents stepped over to the arcade machine.

"Tea," Yugi whispered as he pulled her aside. "Are you sure you want to be treated like this? As a prize?"

Tea looked over at her small pal with a confused look on her face as she pondered what he meant.

"You're more than that!" Yugi stated with honesty. "You're a human being with emotions and a brain!"

The female smiled, "It's ok; Yami knows what he's doing. He's just looking out for me like he does for you."

Yugi understood, and the two joined the large crowd that had gathered around the two adolescents.

"The game is simple." Yami began. "We each take one mallet and try to hit as many critters that pop up as fast as we can. Whoever receives the most points in the set time wins."

The haughtily teen agreed as he picked up a green mallet, "This should be easy."

"Game start!" Yami stated as he reached for the starter button.

Quickly, many creatures started to pop up and down around the set holes. The two opponents rapidly moved their eyes across the field and smacked as many little robots as they could.

" _This guy is quick!_ " Yami observed his adversary.

" _This is easy_ ," the teen smiled another creepy smile. " _Girly will be mine!_ "

The number of animals decreased as the timer dwindled down.

" _No!_ " Yami yelled as he was a few points behind. His concentration split as he thought about not only losing, but the notion the creep may do something horrific to Tea.

Everyone watched to what appeared to be the arrogant teen being the victor.

"You can do it, Yami!" Yugi cheered his friend. "Remember what you're fighting for!"

Yami's focus returned. He smiled as he gained back his purpose.

The score briskly changed once more. Yami was now in the lead, and the smug look on his rival’s face diminished.

" _No way I'm gonna lose!_ " he yelled at himself, not wanting to admit defeat. He developed a plan in his little brain.

"The purpose of the game is to hit as many creatures as we can before the timer runs out," he stated. "And I see one right here!"

He moved his hammer from the plastic field and aimed it towards his enemy.

"Yami! Look out!" Tea called, not wanting to have her friend hurt.

"Oh no you don't!" Joey yelled as he and Tristan rushed over.

Tristan swiftly reached for the mallet while Joey shoved the opponent to floor with a quick kick of his leg.

"I won," Yami stated victory as the timer finished and lights flashed.

The rest of the gang stood beside their buddy.

"Game over," Joey stated with a serious look. He did not at all appreciate someone who caused trouble and liked to cheat.

"Now leave," Tristan advised as he was ready for a fist fight.

The teen stood up in defeat. He turned around with his pride hurt. He walked away and mumbled, "Who wants to date someone with so many weird friends…"

After the jerk left, Yugi asked, "Are you ok, Yami?"

Yami smiled and nodded.

Tea wanted to continue on with her original plan. "All that action was exciting! Now let's go see if we can find some place to get a nice drink away from all these gamers."

"Not all gamers are bad," Yugi said, feeling a little hurt as he was a proud gamer himself.

"I know," Tea winked. "But let's see if we can get a change in scenery."

Yugi laughed, "Yeah, I'm getting a little cold. Plus, some of these bright lights are hurting my eyes."

The smallest teen took his hands and rubbed his eyes.

Yami's thoughts of a humble victory decreased as he glanced over towards Yugi.

"Yes, let's leave," he stated.

The group walked over to the next door to a café.

"A café!" the blonde hair teen whined. "I wanna eat something good! Like Ramen!"

"Picky, picky." Tea muttered annoyed.

Tristan sighed, "Fine, if it'll cool your jets, me and you can head over to that Ramen cart not too far from here."

"Yeah!" Joey exclaimed with joy.

The two teens walked out of the building and down the sidewalk to a little Ramen shop.

The other three decided to stay. Throughout the commotion, Yami observed Yugi staring out into space. Something appeared on his mind. After ordering their drinks, sitting down, and talking for a bit, Yugi excused himself to the restroom.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Yami offered as he stood up.

Yugi shook his head and informed the other two he'd be fine.

When the small teen departed, Tea said, "He seems to be ok. Why do you worry so much?"

Yami clinched his plastic yellow cup tightly with worry.

"I just hope he isn't hiding anything,” he explained. “I don't want him to pretend he's fine if something else is wrong with him. I know he does not want any of us to be concerned with him, so he might be putting on a mask."

Tea listened politely. She understood Yami. She, too, did not want her vertically-challenged friend to act like everything was well. Playing like that could leave to a change to a situation and possibly being fatal. Tea decided to remind Yami the unfortunate accident wasn't his or Yugi's fault.

Yami's eyes narrowed, "Regardless… Yugi will be forever in that situation and under stress could cause him to be in pain."

* * *

There was no one else within the men's bathroom other than one person. The young teen looked at himself in the mirror. He unbuttoned his shirt and stared at his own flesh on his chest. He grew relieved seeing only skin and stitches. There was no stain or tattoo, but he couldn't help but feel uneasy. To him if he didn't continue checking, he feared something worse may happen.

"That pain…" he mumbled to himself as he thought back to his trip with Yami to the arcade. "It felt more like a burn… that same burning feeling I felt two nights ago… where the strange dream occurred…."

Yugi shook his head.

"I'm just being paranoid," he mumbled to himself as he fixed his shirt. He poured some water from the sink and washed his face.

When done, he strolled back over to his group. The other two male teens returned after filling their stomachs with noodles and other food items.

After chatting for so long, Tea looked at the time and said she needed to be going home. Yugi also remembered he needed to pick up a book he had on hold over at the library. Because the two places were not in the same area, Tristan offered to walk Tea home. The three teens waved goodbye to their other two friends that headed off. The other three carried on to their new destination.

"Are you sure you can come with us to the library, Joey?" Yugi asked, not wanting to give his friend an extra task causing him to be out late.

"Your father won't mind? You do live a bit far from the library." Yami added.

"Yeah, it's all good," the blonde reassured. "My pops ain't home right now. 'Sides, if you do run into trouble, you may need back up!"

Joey rolled up his sleeve a bit to reveal his muscular bicep with pride.

"That's right!" Yugi cheered.

Yami couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well, if your dad isn't home, then why don't spend the night with me and Yami?" Yugi offered, not wanting his pal to spend the night alone in an unwelcoming apartment. "Is that ok with you, Yami?"

"If that's fine with Joey." Yami replied.

"Sure!" Joey exclaimed. "It'll be fun!"

Everyone laughed once more as they continued on.

* * *

Somewhere in Domino City was an abandoned building. The outside appeared as an ordinary architecture, but the inside was far bigger. The interior had stone walls neatly arranged. Many bookshelves were placed around with vast books about various subjects written in many languages. On the shelves also laid small glass containers that had either liquid or solid colorful items. The only lights provided were torches that hung from the walls, giving out an ominous atmosphere.

In one of the rooms a man stood with a black trench coat over himself. Above him was a chandelier with candles to light the room. He snapped his fingers, and the outfit disappeared, leaving in its place a brown robe.

"Much better," the man sighed with relief. "Humans are incredibly picky about their appearances."

He casually strolled over to a vast gold chair with a purple cushion for a seat and backside. The same chair was encrusted with much jewelry and had light brown arm rests. On top of the chair was a symbol that was a deep pink mixed with purple circle with four triangles pointed in opposite directions of each other.

As the man took a seat, he was quite pleased with himself, "To think it took me only one day to find three suitors; two of which I managed to…meh heh… convince them to join…"

The man snapped his fingers and a whirl pool of green and blue swirled in front of him. In his view, he saw three teens walking without a care in the world.

"The blonde means nothing, but the other two have a lot to offer." he stated to himself. "The taller of the two boys is very brave and will stand up for his beliefs. Courage is something I need from him. However, when he is in a fixed position to his disadvantage, the smaller one helps keep him on track. What an interesting team."

The man stood up, "He may not be aware of his own magical abilities, but that should be no problem… Under my control and my training I shall mold him into a perfect apprentice… As the other one…"

He walked closer to the screen, "It would appear the smaller boy, who looks oddly similar, is the person's weak spot. I already can control the one called Yugi, therefore, I can control the one called Yami."

The man chuckled evilly to himself thinking that victory was his.

Down the hallway in the same building lied two people who had different emotions towards their predicament.

In one room a woman stood with long, blonde hair and purple eyes. She wore a simple, long sleeved white shirt and a long, purple skirt. She sat on her bed with a purple bed sheet and a lavender pillow. Until she was found by the mysterious, evil man, she was alone and had no place to go. She traveled to and from many countries in search of a purpose but had yet to find one.

"Maybe this is where I belong," she tried to reason with herself but remained oddly unsatisfied with her position.

In another room not too far down an unusually tall teen stood with brown hair. He wore a green button shirt with green pants and brown shoes. He also wore a long, purple trench coat. He stood alone in a small room, which contained a bed with sky blue sheets and a light blue pillow. There was a bookshelf with few books on it along with a lamp and a desk with three drawers. On the desk was an open book.

He clinched his fists together tightly with the knuckles turning white. His long, brown bangs covered his face. He was still in shock about what happened to him and the person he cared about. His pride was having difficulty accepting his position, but there was nothing he could do.

"I am so sorry," the teen whispered in anger as well as depression in defeat, "little brother…"

**To be continued…**


	4. The Mysterious Man

**Chapter 4: The Mysterious Man**

A man stood alone in a vast, empty room with his giant chair and stone walls. His features were hidden underneath his hood. He cracked another wicked smile.

He snapped his fingers and mumbled to himself, "I think it's about time I obtain who I need."

* * *

The group cut through a city park on their way to a public place. Soon, the area became dark as the trees thickened and the road they strolled on grew rough and cumbersome. The group felt a chilling breeze pass by them.

Yami immediately put his guard up. Although he did not understand, he was sensing something sinister approaching.

"Are you both all right?" he asked the other two out of concern.

The two boys nodded.

"I don't get it," Joey said confused. "We should have been outta here already and made it to the library."

Yugi agreed, "It doesn't take this long, even by foot."

Yami did not reply. He heard what his two pals were stating, but he kept moving forward. He felt himself turning paranoid observing his area. Around them the sky was pitched black. More trees surrounded them, but some appeared dead, while others had thick, sickly green leaves hanging on. The only lights guiding them from falling to the ground were faint stars. But none of them had noticed the disappearance of the street lights or any other city signs.

" _This doesn't seem like the park at all_." Yami observed unpleasantly.

There wasn't any more that could be said. The group walked in silence.

Suddenly, Yugi heard a voice in his head.

" _Don't forget my pet_ ," the voice cracked in a mocking tone. " _You are mine!_ "

The eerie voice swept a chill down Yugi's spine; it was the same voice that came from the mysterious visitor in his dream. Within his mind, he heard a faint sound of an echoing noise. He immediately felt his chest hurt. Gripping his shirt tightly, he shut his eyes in pain.

"Yugi!" both Yami and Joey called out distressed. Yami reached for his friend first and grabbed him by his shoulders.

"Yugi!" he bellowed alarmed.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Joey asked.

Yami looked around for a place the boy could rest, such as a bench. To his dismay, there wasn't anything.

"Joey," Yami instructed, "help me set Yugi down."

The blonde obeyed, and together they assisted the small teen to sit himself on the ground. Both stayed worried as to what was wrong with Yugi.

"Should I go get an ambulance?" Joey offered, as he was a fast runner.

Yami did not remove his eyes that were glued to his companion, who was in his unfortunate, usual predicament. There was not much time if something else was seriously wrong.

"Yugi!" Yami called out once more. "Are you all right?"

The small boy couldn’t answer. With each beat his heart made, it caused great agony throughout his body. His face scrunched together as his expression clearly stated his deep pain.

Yami turned towards his other friend and nodded.

"I'll be right back!" Joey yelled as he took off.

" _Yugi_ ," Yami thought troubled as he continued watching the smaller boy in pain. He felt useless for not easing his friend of his agony. He could only wait and watch while the other boy went for help.

The smaller teen cracked one of his eyes part way as he continued to pant heavily.

"Ya… mi," he tried to say but was having difficulty speaking.

Yami grew surprised. He was unsure if he should tell Yugi not to speak and that help is on the way. But the look on Yugi's faced appeared he needed to say something important.

"I… I don't think… it was a dream," the boy sputtered.

"What," Yami asked calmly. He didn’t grasp the statement, but he also did not want to further shake the boy with his fearful tone.

"Awhile back…" Yugi tried to explain, feeling weary, "there was this guy… He had brown hair…and green bangs… he did something…to me…"

"What!?" Yami yelled angered. He did not understand how someone could enter his house without knowing. There were no signs of breaking entrance, and no shards of glass anywhere from any windows.

"That man… he—" Yugi tried to continue on, but his train of thoughts were interrupted when the same wicked man broke through and said, " _You've done your part quite well, my pet… Now then, sleep._ "

With that, the young boy felt another sharp burning sensation in his chest. Although the pain stung, he no longer felt anything. His body became numb and heavy. Everything around him became a huge hum. His vision of Yami blurred, and the pain around him was overwhelming.

"Ya… mi…" was all that he could say before falling into being unconscious.

"Yugi!" Yami bellowed as his friend fainted and fell against him.

* * *

"Gotta help Yugi!" the blonde yelled at himself to run faster.

He continued on with his mission to find a pay phone or someone with a cell phone on them. He would have one on him, but he lacked the money to buy one. His friends had offered to help out, but his pride would not let him. He continued sprinting down the rough path trying to find a way out what soon became a thick forest. He tripped over a rock and fell to the ground.

"Can't stop now," the tall teen instructed himself. "Must… get help!"

He used his strength to push himself up and dash off. He enacted several sharp turns and did his best to dodge the thick branches sticking out from the rotting trees. After running around for a few minutes, he tripped over again. After falling to the ground once more, he rubbed his head as he looked back.

"What's going on!?" he yelled shocked seeing he fell over the same rock from before.

"There's no way I could have made a wrong turn!" he yelled at himself as he rose to his feet. "I know this park like the back of my hand!"

He courageously moved on, trying to find some way out. He soon discovered a tiny shred of light appearing from behind some dead trees.

"Is that it?" he asked out loud as he found the stamina to move faster. Passing the branches, he stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He looked over and saw an old, looking building. From behind the windows, dim lights created from candles could be seen.

"Maybe someone there can help!" Joey turned around and headed back to where he started.

A mysterious figured peered out of the window. All that could be seen of him was his evil grin.

Joey dashed back and found Yami and Yugi with ease. Coming up to them, he spotted the older boy holding on tightly to the younger boy's limp body.

"What happen?" Joey asked calmly, not to disturb his smaller pal.

"He fainted," Yami answered quietly.

"I think I found someone who can help," Joey said as he knelt down. "Place Yug on my back so we can quickly take him over there."

Yami only nodded as he assisted to move Yugi's body on to the blonde's back. After Joey gained a firm grip, the two boys headed off into the direction of the house. As they ran, Yami glanced over at Yugi, whose eyes were locked tightly and was breathing heavily.

" _Yugi, hold on!_ " Yami tried to encourage. " _We'll get you the help you need!_ "

A sudden downpour fell upon the teens.

"This is just great!" Joey yelled to the clouds in anger.

The group ran without stop and finally arrived to their destination. They stopped in front of an old building constructed out of old rusted bricks. The architecture had two stories and was a bit wider than the average house.

"See… this is it," Joey stated with hope, catching his breath.

Yami gazed over the dwelling uneasily.

"How is it we've never seen this place before, yet we've all been through the park countless times?" he observed out loud.

Joey looked up to the sky as he pondered the prose.

"Let's see if someone can help Yugi first," he suggested, wanting to get out of the storm, "and ask questions later."

Yami looked over his small friend. If either of them spent any more time in the rain, they may all contract an illness. Yami reluctantly agreed. The two walked up three small steps made out of concrete. In front of them was an old, wooden door. Joey took his free hand and knocked on the door.

"Hello," he called out. "Anyone here?"

After a brief moment of silence, the door suddenly opened.

"Hello?" Joey asked once more before stepping in.

The place was completely dark. The two teens stood in the doorway for their eyes to adjust to the setting. Aside from an old bookcase and a desk, the place was empty.

"Sorry, man," Joey apologized to Yami as he stepped in. "Guess no one is in here."

Yami did not like walking into a house, even if it was deserted.

From behind Joey's back, the two heard a tiny moan.

"I think he's waking up," the tall teen observed as he glanced towards Yugi.

"Let's place him down carefully over on the floor," Yami instructed.

The blonde knelt on the floor as Yami gingerly took Yugi off Joey's back. He gently placed Yugi's lower half on the floor while having a firm grip on Yugi's upper body. Bit by bit, Yugi unlocked his pupils part way. He waited for his blurry eyes to adjust. He soon spotted his two friends.

"What… what happened?" he asked in quiet voice.

"You fainted," Joey answered honestly.

"I… I did?" Yugi questioned confused.

Yami nodded sadly. He asked kindly, "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," the boy replied.

Everyone was shaken when a roar of thunder was heard.

"Guess we're stuck here for a bit." Joey muttered as he crossed his arms unhappily; he never liked it when it rain. Any plans made usually were cancelled due to it being a hazard to be outside as no one wanted to be sick.

Yugi watched sadly as heavy water dropped rapidly from the sky. He turned his gaze towards the floor with guilt written on his expression. He closed his eyes. He truly was feeling better, and he had plenty of energy earlier in the day. He did not understand how he suddenly fainted. Not only that, but he was confused; when he woke up, his form felt warm and strong.

* * *

"How interesting the sleeping spell was broken," a man observed from his place. "Perhaps Yami is using his magic more rapidly than he intended to… I think it's about time that we welcomed our new guests."

The same tall man wore a brown robe. He glared down at a portal with interest, watching the three teens observing their unwanted situation.

"Don't you think?" he asked playfully.

The blonde woman stayed silent. She only stared down at the three teens and felt envious. She had longed to be part of a group filled with people who truly cared about each other, but she could never be part of one.

A very tall teen with brown hair stood on the opposite side of the room. He had his arms crossed but glanced away from the portal. Unlike the woman and the man, he had no interest in the observed group.

* * *

" _Wait!_ " Yugi yelled at himself. " _I need to tell Yami we could all be in danger!_ "

He was about to grab his friend's attention, but a creepy voice broke through his mind. It spoke in an eerie tone, " _Just hold on, my little pet._ "

Yugi immediately placed both of his hands over his ears as he shut his eyes tightly. He noticed every time he heard that man's voice something would go terribly wrong. However, the act proved useless as the stranger taunted," _Why ruin all the fun?_ "

The same haunting sound of a person snapping their fingers shocked Yugi's mind and splashed another wave of chills down his spine.

"Yugi, are you cold?" Yami asked, noticing Yugi shivering. He observed his companion had a frightening expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" Yami asked as he grabbed Yugi's shoulders.

"Is everything ok?" Joey asked as he turned his attention from the rain to his friends. He knelt down on the ground and also reached for Yugi.

At that moment, Yugi pulled his hands from his ears and flashed his pupils opened. However, his once joyful eyes turned hollow and empty. He stood up with no problem and walked towards the opposite end from where the group entered.

"Yug! Where ya goin'?" Joey asked as he stood up in confusion.

Yami immediately ran after his friend who was acting strangely. He caught up with ease as the small teen wobbled at a slow, steady pace. He placed his hand on Yugi's shoulder and asked, "What's wrong?"

However, Yugi broke away and continued on walking.

Yami grew surprised but was unsure of what to do.

"It's like he's in a trance!" Joey yelled out.

At a quickened pace, the two followed Yugi into another room. The next area they entered was also empty. There were only four walls, wooden floor boards, and a window with a view of the harsh rain.

The small teen stood in the center of the room. The other two carefully watched their friend as he finally stopped his motions. They cautiously walked into the area. When there was no sign of Yugi moving anywhere else, Yami dashed to Yugi's side and grabbed him firmly by his shoulders.

"Yugi," Yami stated once more with a very stern look on his face. "What's wrong."

The boy remained mute. He seemed completely out of it.

Joey walked over and waved his hand in front of his buddy's face.

"Hello? Anyone home?" he asked in a bit cheerful tone, trying to break the dark mood.

Yami was about to speak when the floor turned soft and moldy.

"What's happening!" he yelled as he tried to move his feet.

The act was useless as neither boys made any movements.

"It's like we're in quicksand!" Joey remarked, still attempting to break free.

Yami turned his view from the ground to Yugi. The young teen did not struggle at all. He only stood and allowed his body to slowly sink.

"Yugi!" Yami called out as he did his best to lean over and reach for his friend on his shoulder. "Don't let go!"

Joey did the same, and the two grabbed their friend before falling into the darkness.

* * *

Yugi was the first to awake after hitting himself on the head. He sat up and rubbed his head, trying to brush the discomfort away.

"What happened," he asked himself quietly, not remembering anything. "Where am I?"

He looked around and saw he was in a large room with the walls made of stone. Above him was a small chandelier with limited candles, which made the entire area dim. Yugi gazed around and saw the other two boys were by his side, but were not awake yet. Joey had his back to the ceiling and his stomach to the floor, while Yami was on his side. The teen crawled over to shake Yami first.

"Yami," he said gently as he rubbed his friend. "Are you ok?"

No response came from the other teen. Yugi turned his attention towards his other companion hearing the other teen rustling.

"Joey?" he called calmly while still a bit distorted.

"Man, that was some fall," the blonde commented as he tried to sit up. He looked over and noticed at least one his buddies was awake. He smiled seeing the three of them were still together.

"Joey, what happened?" Yugi inquired, perplexed about their new situation.

"You tell me," Joey stated as he moved over towards the other two. "One moment we were all waiting for the rain to let up, and then you started to walk away and led us into a different room."

"I did?" Yugi gasped in fear.

The tall adolescent nodded, "You look like you were in a trance."

Yugi glared at the floor, unhappy about his black out.

Joey crawled over and rubbed his pal's back for comfort.

"Come on," he tried to encourage. "Let's wake up Yami and try and see if we can find a way outta here."

Yugi’s purple puppy eyes met with a pair of brown eyes filled with a soft laughter and courage. He only nodded. Their concentration was split hearing Yami starting to wake up.

"Yami!" Yugi called out with joy.

The two young adults moved slowly towards the other teen. Yami sat up and rubbed his head.

"Yami!" Yugi called out once more as he embraced his friend.

"Yugi," Yami said as he saw that his pal had returned to normal. He pulled Yugi away and asked his usual question, "Are you all right?"

Yugi looked directly into the set of purple eyes that seemed so caring and concerned but also filled with anxiety over the last unfortunate events. Yugi gazed at the floor away from Yami. He took a moment to examine himself. He felt no physical pain emitting from his chest, and he did not hear anymore voices in his head. However, regardless of how he was feeling, he knew something was turning his situation from bad to worse. He also knew whatever answer he would give Yami would always be overly concerned about him.

"Yugi?" Yami asked once more but with a more sincere tone.

Yugi was truly unsure how to reply.

Yami wanted to say something but could not find anything to say.

"I'm sorry," the younger teen finally mumbled while still looking away.

Yami grew puzzled about the replied he had received.

What was Yugi apologizing for?

Was it because he had not been acting like himself?

Or was it because he completely fooled everyone into thinking he was fine?

Joey sighed as he stood up. Something strange was happening, but he did not want to stay and have everyone fall into trouble again.

"Let's find a way out," he suggested changing the subject.

Yami nodded and stood up. He glanced down at Yugi and offered a hand to help lift him up. Yugi gazed up at the tender gesture but shook his head, rejecting the offer.

"Just… give me a moment." he mumbled as he took his view and looked down at the floor.

Yami took his hand back and clinched it into a fist. He assumed his friend was low on energy after the strange occurrence of mysteriously falling into a peculiar room and needed time to recollect his stamina. He knelt to Yugi's side to comfort his comrade.

"We'll move when you're ready," he informed softly, trying not to sound so frightening. "Take your time."

Yugi kept his gaze away from everyone. He felt trapped. Every time he found the strength to stand up something always pushed him back down. It wasn't too long ago he felt great for finally being out of bed and around everyone while having their usual fun. Now something uncanny was happening. He had tried to fix everything, but every attempt turned futile and backfired. He wanted to break free, but he didn't know how.

" _We need to get out of here_ _!_ " Yugi reminded himself harshly. " _If we don't… I… I might be the one who sends everyone into being in danger!_ "

The teen shuffled to stand up. Yami and Joey assisted him into doing so.

"Let's get out of here," Yugi said with his voice becoming shaky.

Yami nodded in agreement. He did not like this place, and he wanted everyone out of the eerie building.

"Leaving so soon?" a creepy voice said out loud.

Yugi cringed at the sound of the man's voice; it was the same one he was hearing all this time, and it always meant trouble.

At that moment, a strong gust of wind began to form out of nowhere. Yami quickly grabbed on to Yugi, not wanting him to fall to ground and become seriously injured. Yugi did the same for protection. Joey stood in front, performing his best to keep the other two from being knocked into the hard floor.

"I was just about to welcome my guests," the man said as he finally appeared.

Yugi gasped in pure terror seeing who was floating above them on the opposite side of the room. The mysterious man removed his hood and showed his brown hair with green bangs. Yugi gasped once more in distress. He clinched onto Yami's sleeve for protection. Yami gazed down to his companion and grew perplexed at Yugi's reaction.

"Who are you?" Joey demanded to know impatiently.

The harsh wind stopped blowing. The man gently lowered himself onto the floor.

"My name shall be revealed when I say so," he explained haughtily.

Joey grumbled underneath his breath. He did not like at all that this man appeared out of nowhere and was refusing to give any information.

"What is it that you want?" Yami asked, still protecting Yugi.

"You," the man stated bluntly.

"What?" Yami and Joey asked in unison.

"Believe it or not, but you have the power to use magic," the man informed.

Yami's eyes widen. Although he did not believe what his opponent was saying, he became confused as to why he was being told this.

"And I need powerful apprentices for my little tasks," the man said as he fiddled with a piece of thread hanging from his outfit. He showed no signs of fear for being outnumbered or any anxiety of anything happening to him.

"Why should I believe anything you say?" Yami scoffed, becoming aggravated.

The man chuckled, "Surely you must have notice some strange occurrences happening within you as well as around you? Any signs of warm feeling entering your body, a strange presence of strength emitting from nowhere and suddenly your wish being granted?"

Yami's eyes widen once more. " _How… how could this man have known?_ "

The man raised his hand out in offering, "Join me, and I can easily teach you how to use such power."

Yami gazed from the foreigner to his small friend. The young boy was still clutching to him in pure terror. Yugi did not look up at all but had tears ready to cast down his face. Not only did the older boy not trust in the offer, he also did not want to abandon Yugi.

Yami turned his gaze to ask, "And if I refuse?"

The man only chuckled once more, "Then your little companion there may be in great danger."

Joey's eyes expanded then narrowed back down with disgust. He did not want anyone to cause harm to his friend, especially after Yugi accepted him for the way he was and offered him friendship.

"Nobody messes with my buddy!"

Joey stampeded towards the enemy and was ready to knock the man out of the room.

He was ready to strike, but the man snapped his fingers. Out of nowhere, a mysterious figure appeared, and Joey felt a blow hit his stomach area. He was knocked to the ground.

"Joey!" the other two boys yelled in agony after seeing their tough friend fall.

Yami turned his glance from Joey to his adversary. Standing in front of the man was an unusually tall teen with short, brown hair. He wore a long, purple trench coat with a green button collar shirt and green pants. Yami felt a chill go down his spine as his violate eyes made contact with a pair of icy blue ones.

The stranger chuckled once more, "This is one of my apprentices, Seto Kaiba. He's agreed to work for me; why don't you?"

Yami grumbled in anger.

Joey rose himself to his feet. A spark of anger came from his brown pupils as he met with the orbs that belong to Seto Kaiba.

"Apprentice or not," Joey yelled as he rushed over for another round, "I won't let any harm come to my friends!"

The blonde tossed several punches while the brunette dodged them with ease.

"I won't lose!" Joey bellowed as he swung a hard punch across the teen's face. Kaiba flew towards the opposite side of the room.

"One down, one to go!" Joey stated as he charged towards his next opponent.

"Kaiba!" the man called out. "Come here now, least the person _you_ care about comes in danger."

Yami's eyes dilated once more as he picked up the line that was stated.

" _What does the man mean by that?_ " Yami pondered.

Kaiba rose to his feet and swiftly ran towards the stranger and the blonde. Before Joey was able to strike, Kaiba flew himself in front of the man and swung one huge blow towards the slow witted adolescent. Joey gasped in pain as the wind was knocked out of him.

"Joey!" Yugi called out with tears starting to stream down his face.

The two teens ran towards their fallen comrade as he fell to the floor.

"Joey!" Yugi cried out as he tried to wake up his friend.

Kaiba had managed to lay a fair attack and completely knocked Joey out.

Yami felt the pain coming from his two friends. Anger built up within the teen. He clinched his fists as he stood up.

His bangs covered his face as he asked with fury, "Who are you?"

The man grinned and replied, "My name is Bakar."

**To be continued…**


	5. Reason to Stay

**Chapter 5: Reason to Stay**

"Bakar?" Yami repeated.

The man only grinned while Kaiba stood across with his arms folded.

" _What am I to do?_ " Yami perplexed over the matter. " _There's no possibility I can use magic!_ "

He felt trapped. He, Yugi, and Joey were now at the mercy of a new madman claiming to have the ability to use magic. Not only that, but the one called Kaiba seemed very strong and was working for Bakar. If Yami chose to attack physically, he would sure lose to Kaiba. Yami was also worried about Yugi.

The small boy cried over for his fallen friend. Time was ticking, and Yami needed a plan fast if he wanted everyone to leave alive. His concentration broke seeing Yugi gripping his shirt in pain.

"Yugi!" Yami bellowed, rushing to the young boy's side. He knelt to the ground to hold Yugi by his shoulders.

" _This isn't good_ ," Yami noted tensely. " _All this stress is causing Yugi's heart to pump faster with anxiety._ "

Worry built up within Yami. His own heart race with fear, but it was not the same pain as Yugi was experiencing. Suddenly, the two noticed the blonde teen waking up.

"Joey?" Yugi said quietly as the blonde started to sit up. "Joey! Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Joey replied as he rubbed his head.

"Well, look who's finally awake," Bakar mocked.

Joey immediately glared at the man and his henchmen. As icy eyes of the brunette met with the determined ones of the blonde, a rivalry spark formed in the air. Joey stood up and placed one arm in front of Yugi to protect him.

"Yami," Joey whispered, "take Yugi and get out of here."

"What!?" the other boys questioned with shock.

"We need to get Yugi out of here," Joey explained. "I'll be fine. I can handle this. Just go!"

Yami knew his options were limited. If he stood alongside Joey, the two may be easily taken down. However, if they left, there may be a slim chance for the group to reunite later and be safe.

Yami quickly grabbed Yugi by his wrist and dashed out of the large room they were in.

Bakar sighed but continued to grin, "Let the fun begin."

"And as for you," Joey yelled with fire burning within him. He did not want any more harm to come to either of his buddies. He knew this was his chance to cause a distraction while Yami found a safe spot for Yugi. Joey wasn't about to lose again. He'd give his own life if he had to.

He stated boldly, "Let's go for another round!"

* * *

The two boys sprinted down a long tunnel that appeared endless. The walls and floors were now constructed with dark purple and brown bricks. Hardly any lights were on, so running became difficult. They had to be careful not to trip over anything. A false move could cause them to be in even more danger.

"But what about Joey?" Yugi cried as the two managed to exit from the room. He was very worried about his companion. In the last fight Joey was knocked out for a brief moment. Yugi was unsure about what may happen next. He hated seeing his friends suffer.

"He said he'll be fine!" Yami repeated sternly, trying to ease both of their minds. "But we needed to get you out of there!"

Yugi shut his eyes and sobbed quietly, " _I'm sorry Joey… Yami_."

" _I'm sorry, too, Yugi,_ " Yami thought to himself. " _But that man, Bakar, I know he's been giving you trouble… I just don't know how or why_."

They raced in silence. Nothing more could be said. Yami and Yugi stopped running to catch their breath. Neither of them knew how far they've made it past the room they were just in. However, there appeared to be no exit. The area seemed completely different from where they entered. Although Yami knew they found a way in through a deceiving house, he was unsure of where the slime that came from the floor teleported them.

Suddenly, the two heard a chilling, evil laughter. Yugi quickly held on to Yami. Yami could tell that Yugi was stating to panic once more. He searched the area while holding on to his friend. They both saw a mixture of orange and black swirling around only a few feet in front of the two. What appeared before them was an orange and black ball that then slowly vanished from sight.

"You didn't really think you could escape, did you?" Bakar said as he and Kaiba magically appeared.

"What!?" Yami gasped.

"This whole area is controlled by magic," Bakar explained haughtily. "My magic."

Yami heard Yugi whimper. He continued to protect his friend, " _Damn it! Now what!?_ "

Like before, he felt trap. However, the group was now down to two. Yami noticed the one Joey was fighting with was still by Bakar's side. He narrowed his eyes and demanded to know, "Where's Joey."

"Your friend was sent back," Bakar informed with an unimpressed tone.

"What!?" Yami yelled out. "What do you mean? Explain yourself!"

Bakar grinned, "He was no match for Kaiba here. I merely sent him back home, so there's no need to worry. He has no magic ability; and therefore, I have no use for him."

Yami grunted with frustration. He lost one friend. He felt powerless. He shut his eyes with resentment, " _How am I to protect Yugi now?_ "

He needed to think of something, but time and destiny refused smile on him.

At that moment, Yami felt someone pushing him. Before falling to the ground, Yami saw in his view Yugi was the one pushing him. His eyes expanded shocked. Time moved very slowly when he saw a bright light hit his small companion. Yugi's eyes were shut tightly with agony, but no sound came out of his throat.

"Yu… gi…" was all Yami could utter before hitting the hard, cold floor. He struggled to stand up. He clearly saw Yugi only a few feet away. The boy lied on the ground motionless.

"Yugi!" the older boy bellowed. He felt his heart stop beating for a moment. He hated that feeling. He needed to protect his friend. Once he found the strength, he bolted from his position and dashed back towards Yugi.

"Two down," Bakar grinned as he mumbled.

"Bakar, what did you do?" Kaiba asked with his eyes glued on his remaining opponents.

"It's a simple attack," the man informed calmly. "Not enough to kill either of the boys, but enough to raise the anger within Yami. He'll soon realize he'll need my training in order to maintain his powers under control."

Kaiba heard everything what he was told, but it all seemed unreal. " _How can he ignore his own danger and worry about his friend? Isn't he at all afraid of what may happen to him?_ "

Kaiba grew baffled towards Yami’s action.

Yami knelt down and picked up the nearly limped body. Memories, from not too long ago, resurfaced. To him, it felt like the same time when Yugi had barely pushed him out of the way of the drunk driver.

"Yugi!" Yami cried out. "Please answer me! Are you all right!?"

Just like before, Yami wanted to ensure Yugi’s wellbeing. He longed to see his friend’s usual bright and happy grin. He didn't want to be in the dark, cold, mysterious place. He wanted to be out and safe. He wanted Yugi to be safe.

"Yugi!" Yami cried once more. His heart beat faster and faster, waiting if the small boy would wake up.

Bit by bit, Yugi opened his eyes, but he only did so half way. He smiled weakly and whispered, "I'm… fine… Are you… ok?"

Yami sighed a bit and replied, "Don't worry about me… I'll get you out of here."

As soon as Yami finished speaking, Yugi started to vanish.

"What?!" Yami questioned. "No! Yugi!"

The smaller boy tried to grip on to his friend's sleeve, but he was soon gone.

A tear slid down Yami’s face. Shades of resentment quickly covered his feelings of sorrow.

"Bakar!" Yami yelled with full vexation.

"There's no need to worry," Bakar calmly informed. "Young Yugi is simply back home… He was only too weak to stay any longer."

Inside, Yami felt something snap. His entire form shook as he began to feel a familiar sensation, but it was somehow different. The vibes that pumped through him reflected the anger within him. As though with instinct, Yami pulled together his arms then flung them outward. As he did, a bright, red light flashed from his hands towards Bakar.

Yami's eyes amplified surprised.

However, Bakar merely snapped his fingers, and a light blue barrier came over him.

Kaiba shield his eyes from the bright lights, but he was not in range of the attack.

Yami stared at his own hands, confused about what took place. He had never done such an action before. The act appeared like a movie.

"This is what I mean," Bakar grinned.

Yami quickly looked up towards the man.

"You have the ability to use magic," Bakar continued. "However, if you're not careful, you may end up hurting yourself."

Yami became lost in his own world, unsure what to say, unsure what to think.

"Join me," Bakar offered once more. "And I'll teach you to use magic the proper way."

Yami carefully analyzed his options. Deep down, he did not at all trust the man.

" _What good CAN come from a man who… disposes of people with no magic_ ," Yami pondered as he closed his eyes. " _He threatened Kaiba to do what he wants… He may be trying to do the same with me_."

"Well?" Bakar asked, a tad impatient.

After a moment of silence, Yami unlocked his pupils. His eyes were no longer filled with fear.

Kaiba grew impressed by this factor.

"I decline," Yami replied firmly.

Bakar turned puzzled by this action.

"I have no need to use any magic for any reason," Yami informed. He sneered confidently, "I never intend to work for someone like you."

Bakar grinned, "Is that so?"

Yami did not change his view. He took a fighting position, "And if you try and stop me, I'll attack once more!"

The man closed his eyes and shook his head, but he still wore his confident grin.

"Tsk, tsk," he mumbled as he wagged his finger. "I really don't think that is the best option."

Kaiba's eyes magnified. He knew where his boss was going with this.

"And why is that?" Yami questioned, unsure of what else Bakar could do.

The man placed his arms in a cross-like position and his hands in a relaxed fist mode. His legs were spread apart and he chanted, "Spirits of Vision please set me free, show me the person whom I long to see."

Yami saw in front of him and Bakar a green-blue portal forming. In the center Yami saw a screen, and from there he could see Yugi all alone in his room. He was sitting at his desk crying.

"Yugi!" Yami called out, feeling torn inside for feeling as though he had abandoned his best friend.

"He can't hear you," Bakar informed in a far quieter tone.

Yami shot his eyes that were full of rage and hatred towards the older man. He wanted to be set free, away from this madman and back to home and be with his best friend.

"You know, you really are in no position to make demands." Bakar mocked in an arrogant tone.

"And why is that," growled Yami, ready to attack no matter the cause.

"Because," Bakar explained, "You wouldn't want any harm to happen to poor, little Yugi, now would you? Particularly with his special condition?"

Yami gasped in fear, " _What could he do to harm Yugi?_ "

Bakar pulled out a covered object from his coat. The item was wrapped around a special cloth, and as he unraveled it, Yami saw a knife and became alarmed.

" _What does he plan to do with that?_ "he thought with anxiety building up.

"This is a special knife," Bakar introduced his little device with a grin on his face. "It cuts through skin, bone, and muscles and can attack any vital organ directly. It's very nice when I don't feel much like using my own strength to cut through all of the unnecessary body parts."

Yami was on his guard. He was unsure if his enemy planned to use it on him, but he did not want to take any chances.

"Now," Bakar continued, "I'm about to do something most people would consider risky. There's a special bottle on the shelf behind me that can cure any human pain and heal it to where there was no damage done."

Yami's eyes shifted from Bakar to the shelf that carried the same container that was just mention. The jar was in the shape of a heart which contained a blue liquid. Yami immediately switched his view back to his enemy as Bakar continued, "I'm going to take this knife and stab myself in the chest."

Yami gasped confused, not grasping the plan he was just given.

"And, of course, you'll be the one to save me." Bakar finished with a vain tone.

"Oh, really now?" Yami asked with a grin on his face. " _Perhaps I don't have to lift a finger to defeat him_."

"Bakar!" Kaiba shouted.

The man lifted his hand and gave his assistance a sign to stop.

"Don't worry," he assured. "He will soon know the reason why he must do it."

Yami smirked.

Bakar closed his eyes and lifted the knife high into the air. With one big swoop, he plunge the weapon straight into his chest. He kept his pupils locked, but in the center of his chest a deep wound opened, and blood poured out. The man who had just stabbed himself fell to the ground.

Yami felt proud he did not have to do anything, but he felt an uneasy emotion within himself. He heard the sound of another person falling to the ground. He turned his focus back to the screen, and his face turned from triumph to horror. There, in the screen, he saw Yugi on the ground with blood cascading down from his chest. The young boy's eyes were hollow, and he did not move.

"Yugi!" Yami cried out in pain to what he had seen. He did not understand why his friend was on the floor almost dead. Tears formed in his eyes.

"If you want to save him," Kaiba began catching Yami's attention, "you need to take the same bottle Bakar had mentioned and poor a little on his wound."

Yami was unsure of what to do. He looked at the screen and saw Yugi turning ghostly white and breathing very lightly.

" _If… If I save Yugi then… will he be safe?_ "

"Hurry, there isn't that much time left!" Kaiba informed with empathy in his tone.

Yami felt rage build up inside of him, but he knew there wasn't any other option to save Yugi. He swiftly ran towards the shelf and grabbed the heart shaped glass Bakar had pointed to. He sprinted back to Bakar and knelt down. He quickly took off the cap and held the glass above the wound. He poured some clear blue liquid carefully.

Just as Bakar had said, the wound healed up. The man flashed his eyes open and was immediately healed. He rose his feet to the ground and stood up with ease.

Yami didn't care so much about him as he did for Yugi. He looked at the screen to ensure Yugi was all right.

The young boy was still on the carpet in his room. His eyes were shut, but the blood was gone, and he was breathing fine. Tears fell down Yami’s cheeks, but he did not care. He had to revive a man he despised for the sake of someone he cared for.

"You had made the right choice," Bakar informed Yami.

Yami could not look at his enemy.

"To him, this will only seem like a bad dream." Bakar said with the "him" referring to Yugi. He snapped his fingers and Yami saw Yugi's body float. The exhausted form was laid on the mattress, and the covers topped him. The screen vanished from sight.

"Join me," Baka stated. "And the boy will be safe from any harm. Under my command, he shall feel no stress or pain from his damaged heart."

Yami continued to sob over the fact he had lost. There was nothing he could do to his enemy least he harms an innocent soul.

Bakar walked away and ordered Kaiba to show Yami where he was to be staying. Kaiba accepted and took the mindless body to his new assigned room.

The two walked down the hall in silence; nothing more could be said. They walked down a cold, stony path with walls made of stone as well. They passed by several other rooms.

In front of one of the rooms a tall woman stood with blonde hair and purple eyes. She wore a simple white, long sleeved shirt with a long purple skirt. She did not look at either of the two who walked passed her. She knew, however, the new guy was brought along against his will but had no other choice but to stay.

The two boys finally reached the room where Yami was to stay. Inside was a bed with simple red covers and a simple white pillow. A small window allowed the setting sun's rays enter the room. There was a desk with a lamp but other than that the room was empty.

Yami walked into the room, and Kaiba shut the door behind him. Yami sat down on the bed and sobbed his eyes out until the sun had finished setting.

He felt he failed everyone around him.

He failed his friends who had tried so hard to keep everything together.

He failed himself for not solving this problem.

But, more importantly, he failed Yugi.

There was nothing more he could do since they were both trapped within the hands of a madman.

**To be continued….**


	6. Only an Option

**Chapter 6: Only an Option**

A broken spirit sat on the dusty ground with his back against the cold hard wall. His whole world had crumbled, and he had fallen into an endless, dark hole. He lost the one person who meant most to him. He was now working for a madman.

The sun had set, and all that came inside was light from the moon.

Yami felt like he was the moon.

He could not produce light on his own.

He needed the strength from the sun.

Yugi was the sun.

He longed to call for the one he cared for. Even though his spirit was damaged, he wanted to know how Yugi was handling the crestfallen circumstances. He prayed the boy’s condition would not cause him any harm; any more harm, to say the least. He longed to know Yugi’s situation, but he was unsure how he could contact the outside world. There were no phones or any other communication devices.

At that moment, someone entered the room. Yami did not bother to look up. Nothing else could be done to harm him. His entire body and mind became numb.

“There is a way to help him move on,” said the voice of the person who entered.

Yami became interested. He glanced up to see Seto Kaiba. Dull, purple eyes met with a pair of ice with another sentiment beneath.

“Wh… what?” Yami asked, his voice becoming shaky.

“I can help you see the one you had lost.” Kaiba said with empathy.

Yami debated if he should take word of someone who fought Joey and worked for the one named Bakar. However, he was overly concerned about Yugi. He decided to take a chance; nothing worse could be done.

“Please! Let me see him again!” Yami begged as he stood up.

“It may be painful to see the one you care about in their current state,” the male teen warned. “Are you prepared for what you may see?”

Yami nodded vigorously. He longed to see his friend once more. When he first laid eyes on Kaiba, the adolescent appeared cold and hard. Yami found this all to be a bit odd. He again decided to take the risk of this kind act, which may actually be a trap. He did have the ability to use magic, but they both now worked for Bakar. Yami formed a theory in his anxious mind: Since Bakar also had Kaiba under his control against Kaiba’s will, perhaps this was a way for Kaiba to work with Yami for some plot.

“I have used this spell from time to time to check in on the one I had lost. The spell requires either a mental image of the person, or at least a name,” the young teen stated. “What is his name?”

Yami swallowed a hard lump in his throat. His voice wavered as he answered, “Yugi Muto.”

Kaiba repositioned himself with his arms crossed each other against his chest with his hands into fists. He chanted, “Spirits of Vision, please set me free. Show me the person whom I long to see.”

In front of the two, a portal grew. Yami became stunned but also interested in what he was seeing. A swirl mixed between green and blue. In the center was a glass surface forming. Within the view, a young boy with tri-color hair sat on his bed.

“Yugi!” Yami bellowed with joy. His smile soon faded seeing the position his friend was in.

Yugi’s eyes were hollow and bloodshot, as though he had been crying long into the night ever since the two were separated. He looked like Yami had been for the past hours.

Yami felt like crying himself; he could not bear to see his friend in a depressing state. He longed to see the other teen smile and be happy. He understood Yugi would not do so. He believed he had caused the boy to feel even more pain because of him.

Kaiba kept quiet. Even though he appeared unfriendly to Yami and his friends, he only attacked them as ordered. He had no personal apparitions towards the group, but he committed his actions to protect the one he cared about.

“There is a spell that can help him out,” he stated. “But it may cause him more pain than he already has.”

“I have already caused him enough pain.” Yami answered with a dull tone as he glanced at the floor.

“The spell would allow Yugi to forget about you.”

Yami shot his eyes towards the tall teen. He was shocked to hear such a theory was real. He then looked back towards the portal. The blue-green screen started to vanish.

“Wait!” Yami cried as he jumped. He tried to jump through the portal but found himself hitting the hard ground. He brought himself to knees to cry again. He felt he was so close to being with Yugi once more, but he was reminded he was even further than before.

“I placed this on the one I had lost since there would be no one like me to take care of him.”

Kaiba turned away and left.

Yami stared at the ground once more. His breathing became heavy. He couldn’t calm himself down. The possibility of Yugi forgetting about him seemed too unreal. There were at times in the late night where he yearned for Yugi to be free of him, and he wondered if this was an unintended wish that came true.

“Yugi…” Yami whispered

Flashback

Yami sat down by himself in an ally. He was all alone between empty boxes and a dumpster. He allowed the rain to fall down on him.

There was no place for him to go.

He had nowhere to be.

He had no family or friends to shelter him from the bitter world growing even sour.

He glanced up when he no longer felt rain drops on him.

“Aren’t you cold?” a small teen in a blue school uniform with tri-color hair asked as he held an umbrella closer to the older boy.

Yami blinked a few times. He wasn’t too stunned seeing someone who looked like him; he was more concerned someone was talking to him. He changed his view back to the floor. His heart became distant once more. He advised coldly, “You should leave. This is a dangerous place to be.”

“Then why are you still here?” the other boy asked.

“Tch. I don’t have any other place to be.” Yami answered.

“But you should still get out of this rain,” the teen echoed with care. “Otherwise you’ll get sick.”

“And so what?” Yami spat. He saw the boy had with him an old game board. Although it wasn’t worth a whole lot, he knew thieves would do whatever they like to sell something by picking on those weaker than they are. He stood up and repeated, “You should leave.”

He walked deeper into the empty ally. He wondered why a stranger would notice him. Even though the two looked alike, no other connection existed between them. Yami was born alone, and he believed deeply he would die alone.

He thought about the stranger once more. The eyes the small teen had were filled with innocence and childlike amusement. Yami chuckled a little. He hoped he wasn’t being treated like a lost puppy founded by a naive child.

“HELP!” cried out a voice.

Yami turned and saw the same person he spoke with was now being attacked. He didn’t know why, but he sprinted back over. He spotted a mysterious stranger, wearing a dark brown trench coat, trying to steal something from the student.

“Help!” the teen cried out once more. He received a punch in the face, and he dropped to his knees. He dropped his umbrella and game board. The pieces tumbled out and splattered in the dirty puddles.

“Oh no you don’t!” Yami hollered before the mugger could strike again.

The older boy stepped in front of the smaller one and blocked the punch with an arm. He then kneed the man hard against his rib cage. The man did not have a weapon on him, so he decided to run. He had no desire in causing any policemen to find and arrest him.

Yami took a moment to catch his breath. It had been awhile since he last felt adrenaline flow threw him. He took a liking to feel something other than numbness. He then heard someone cough. He crouched down to examine the young boy.

“Are you ok?” the small stranger asked.

Yami was taken aback by this. The student had asked if he was all right. He expected the person to thank him and then run off; being mugged was never fun. The boy was endangered and had a tiny cut on the side of his face, yet he was more concerned for the one who saved him.

“I should be asking you that.” Yami finally replied.

“I’m fine,” the student answered. “But… are you ok? I saw you saved me. Thank you.”

“It was nothing.” Yami said as he stood up. He was about to leave when he heard the student yell, “Wait! Don’t leave!”

“You’ll be fine if you get home quickly,” the taller teen dissuade, assuming the boy was afraid to be left alone only to be robbed once more.

“No, I…” the young teen stammered. “I need to thank you properly.”

“You already did.”

“No! Please, let me offer you something and get you out of this rain.”

Yami turned and saw the eyes of the stranger were filled with gratitude. He knew the student would not leave unless he had his wish fulfilled. The older boy sighed and agreed.

The two of them picked up the game pieces and headed back towards the small boy’s place.

They entered into a store named the Turtle Game Shop. Yami became amazed seeing many packages of games and posters. His heart beat proudly with joy, a feeling he had not experienced in a while. He had always enjoyed playing games but never really had anyone to play with.

The boy placed his wet umbrella into a bin.

“Grandpa?” he called out into the home. When no response came about, he mumbled to himself, “Huh, I guess he’s out.”

“You live with your grandpa?” Yami asked surprised.

“Yup,” the boy replied cheerfully. He grabbed the older teen’s arm and said gleefully, “Let’s go to my room so you can dry yourself off.”

Yami was about to argue when he was already dragged by the stranger. He wasn’t sure what to say. His heart was glad someone noticed him, but he wanted to leave before he would become comfortable.

After hiking up the flight of stairs and heading down a hallway, the two stood in front of a door.

“This is my room,” the boy said with a smile when he opened the door.

Yami stepped through and saw many game pieces on the ground. There were posters of game characters and many school supplies on a desk. He couldn’t help but grin a little with amusement; he felt he was in a child’s room. He then noticed the boy offered him a yellow towel. He accepted it and started to dry off the remaining water drops. He glanced at the game board the boy was carrying. The game required at least two people, and the object was to roll a dice and pass by any monsters and traps while on the way to the winner’s circle.

“You want to play?” the boy asked with a huge grin.

“I… I shouldn’t.” Yami answered reluctantly.

“It’ll be fun!” the boy tried to persuade. “At least one round!”

“All right.” Yami agreed.

“Yippie!”

He knelt on the ground to place together the little characters and cards.

Yami knelt down as well and chuckled. The stranger who welcomed him into his home was acting like a child playing with his older brother. Yami glanced up and saw a picture frame. In it he was able to see the boy and a girl with huge smiles on their faces.

“Is that your girlfriend?” Yami suddenly asked. He turned his head hearing a game piece drop.

“N-no,” the boy replied as he quickly went back to the set up.

Yami was about to ask if the girl was his sister, but he stopped when he saw the other teen’s face becoming red. He couldn’t help but chuckle once more. He said in a more relaxing tone, “I’m sorry if I’m intruding if someone else comes to visit.”

“It’s ok,” the student reassured. “No one else is coming by.”

“Why is that?” Yami questioned. He knew other students had people come by to either do homework or hang out together. He ventured further, “Don’t you have any other friends?”

The boy turned quiet. Hurt shuffled in the back of his eyes. He glanced down at the board with shame. He busied himself by finishing up where all the parts went.

Yami was about to speak when he realized the boy may not have any other friends. It may be the reason why he was walking home alone. Yami looked down at the board as well. He honestly did not mean to hurt the kind stranger’s feelings.

He noticed what game he was playing. It was the same one he had always played in his own childhood.

“I remember playing this!” Yami stated with a smile as he changed the subject at the same time. “I love games!”

The stranger looked up and spotted joy in Yami’s eyes. He smiled once more.

The game began, and the two had fun together.

When the rain had stopped, the older boy insisted he should go.

“Wait!” the boy protested once more.

“What is it?” Yami asked confused. “I thought by playing this game you would have properly thanked me.”

“But… but you said… you had nowhere else to go,” the boy restated.

“Yes? And?”

“Why… why don’t you stay here? With me and Grandpa?”

“What?”

“Well… I really like you… You were one of the few people to actually play a game with me. I’m sure Grandpa would like to have another gamer in the house.”

The boy looked towards the ground and added, “Plus… it’s no fun being alone, isn’t it.”

Yami turned quiet. He couldn’t believe what was being offered. He was never shown this much kindness in his life. The words the boy had stated were true.

He hated being by himself. He had despised being around people because everyone he knew were always jerks towards one another. Here was boy in front of him who was alone, yet he still had a pure heart. Yami wanted to take the offer, but he was not willing to be someone who took advantage of other people.

“I’ll stay.” Yami finally replied. “But I’ll need some work to earn cash. I have no intention of mooching off of anyone.”

The boy looked up and smiled.

“Of course!” he agreed. “Grandpa owns a game store, so I’m sure he’ll be happy to have another gamer helping him out!”

“And we can play even more games in our free time.” Yami said with a grin. He noticed tears streamed down the boy’s face.

“What’s wrong?” Yami asked as he knelt down.

The boy sobbed quietly, “Thank you.”

The older one embraced the younger teen and allowed a few tears of his own to form. He was ecstatic someone was out there for him. He was overjoyed he didn’t have to be alone, and he assumed the other one felt the same way.

“By the way,” Yami said quietly after the smaller student calmed down a bit. “I don’t even know your name.”

The boy pulled back and smiled, “Yugi Muto.”

End flashback

“Of course, this is only an option. You don’t have to activate the spell and have this _Yugi_ forget about you,” a different voice said.

Yami glanced up and saw a beautiful woman with blonde hair and purple eyes. Her pupils were filled with sorrow and sympathy. Yami had seen her before but was unable to ask who she was. Even now, his voice was consumed by depression, and he could not even speak.

The lady turned her back, walked out, and said, “Although you may want to consider it since you’re here forever.”

Yami slouched against the wall once more. Tears cascaded down his face. He felt lost once more. He felt the sun shining on him had disappeared forever. The one who was kind to him was now separated. There was nothing but darkness once more. Yami debated about the choices that laid in front of him.

“Yugi…” he cried quietly to himself.

**To be continued…**


	7. Difficult Decisions

**Chapter 7: Difficult Decisions**

Yami sat on his mattress alone. His violet eyes were hollow. His spirit and heart had been damaged. After a long tearful night, morning had arrived with the day following. He pondered endlessly about the information he had been told.

“Perhaps this truly is the best solution.” Yami tried to reason to himself.

After what appeared to be an eternity, the broken adolescent stood up. He walked out of his room and tried to find Kaiba, who mentioned the spell in the first place. He glanced down in both directions of a hallway. He was new to the place and did not know his way around. He wasn’t even sure how many people Bakar had managed to hurt and force them to join him. Although he was disgusted by the idea, he believed he was powerless.

Yami thought he heard a voice coming from one of the rooms in the same corridor as him. He walked down the cold, stony path and made his way towards the end. As he entered the last room in the hall, he placed one hand to shield his eyes from the light that emitted from the outside.

He clinched his fists tightly; the bright light reminded him about the friend he lost. As his vision adjusted, he spotted Kaiba fiddling around with chess pieces. He appeared quite distraught about something.

A part of the adolescent with tri-color hair wanted to run. He didn’t want to ask for help nor place any spell upon his companion. Yami took a deep breath. He knew what needed to be done.

“Excuse me.” he said as he stepped in.

“Don’t bother me!” Kaiba spat. He did not turn around nor remove his eyes from the game he had laid out.

Yami drew his own view towards the game board decorated with black and white pieces. He saw where all the parts were and deducted the match was not an easy one. The game of chess was highly skilled and required great concentration, strategy, and focus in order to outwit the opponent.

Yami remembered all the times he and Yugi would play together. Even though they were both proud and well experienced players, both managed to have a great time with one another. Neither of them played for profit since a greater joy could be found with playing someone who was both a worthy and friendly competitor.

His thoughts were interrupted hearing, “Damn it!”

The tall teen with brown hair swiped his hand and hit the game, causing the pieces to fly everywhere.

Yami grew surprised by the action, confused as to what Kaiba was becoming so frustrated towards.

“It’s all because of him!” Kaiba smashed one fist into the stone wall. His icy eyes burned with pure rage. “He’s the reason why I’m here and away from my little brother!”

Yami grew interested in the story he was told. A part of him wanted to hear what the other boy had to say. He waited for a moment before asking, “What happened?”

“I lost to Bakar in a game of chess!” Kaiba spat furiously, reviewing everything that had happen. “Bakar had said I lost due to my magic not being strong enough! Bullshit! I’ve been playing the game ever since I was young and was even a prodigy!”

Yami thought back to when he, Yugi, and Joey were trapped within the mysterious building. They were up against Kaiba, who had to protect Bakar. The twisted man had threatened the tall teen with brown hair.

Yami asked calmly, “Kaiba, what has Bakar done to you?”

The adolescent shot an angry glance towards the other teen, appearing he did not wish to talk about his personal life.

Yami took a step back; he did not enjoy the cold stare he received. He continued, however, to stand his ground. He tried a different approach.

“You saw what Bakar had done to my friends. Is he doing the same to you?”

“What does that matter?” Kaiba asked in a cold tone.

“If the man is doing something wrong, he should be stopped.” Yami replied easily.

Kaiba turned quiet, not expecting to receive an answer so quickly. He also did not understand how the person in front of him maintained a desire to escape even after being held against his will. Kaiba saw what took place the other night and stayed baffled how Yami was still able to stand now, even though his spirit was crushed.

He narrowed his eyes and clinched his fists, knowing this person would not leave until he was satisfied. In a bitter tone Kaiba explained his situation, “Bakar was holding my brother hostage. I had to play a game of chess in order to win my brother’s freedom.”

“And that’s when you lost?” Yami filled in as he observed how the other one could not finish the explanation.

“Damn Baka!” Kaiba yelled. “Mokuba and I have no parents! I was the only one able to take care of him!”

Yami’s eyes stretched, shocked about what he had been told. He had no idea how tough Kaiba had it. He lowered his head understanding why the teen with brown hair had to protect Bakar. He believed he and the other adolescent were not so different.

Filled with empathy, he asked, “So what happened to your brother?”

After calming down, Kaiba answered, “Bakar promised to take care of him by creating a false family.”

He headed for the door. Before he left, Kaiba added, “I placed that spell over Mokuba, so he would not see through the phony people in front of him.”

Yami was left alone in the room. He wasn’t sure how to respond. He took some time to have everything sink into his mind. He leaned against the wall as he placed one hand on his head. He lowered his eyes and thought wretchedly, “ _I wonder how Yugi is_ …”

He was about to exit the room as well when a woman with blonde hair and purple eyes stepped through the doorway. Yami recalled he only saw this young lady once. He was curious to know who she is. She appeared she could do better than work for Bakar.

Yami stood up straight and asked, “Who are you?”

“My name is Mai Valentine.” the woman replied.

“My name is Yami.” the teen greeted as he tried to be polite.

The woman named Mai took a step back. She appeared frighten by something, but she immediately did her best to hide it.

Yami caught this and reassured, “There’s no need to be afraid; I won’t hurt you.”

The blonde female turned surprised someone caught this. Her eyes became chilly as she grew a wicked smile on her face. She remarked arrogantly, “Who said I was afraid of you?”

Yami saw through the act. He himself had to put on a tough appearance, so he would not be pushed around. He decided to change the subject, “What are you doing with Bakar? You should be someplace else.”

Mai was taken aback by the comment. No one had really spoken to her and thought of her as someone who mattered. She glanced away and replied honestly, “I have no place to go.”

Yami became surprised hearing the response. The answer he received sounded similar to how he once was. At times he did feel empty, but he was always welcomed and cared for by his friends.

Mai continued, “I had no other family or friends. When I met Bakar, he said he had a place for me. Because I had nothing else, I went with him. There was no hope.”

“But there is always hope.”

Yami grew stunned those words came out of his mouth. He always had difficulty finding the brighter side to every situation. He had too little faith in anything. He had learned a great deal from Yugi. He clinched his fists tightly once more.

Mai glanced up with an angry look. She could not accept the words she had been told. She believed the adolescent had no idea about what she had been through. She left the room and said in a bitter tone, “Try saying that when you truly have nothing.”

She marched out of the door.

Yami felt something inside of him erupted. He was not upset by the way the two people had spoken to him. He held complete empathy for them. He was far more furious at the villain named Bakar. He knew he couldn’t stand by and continue for others to be hurt.

He stormed out of the room to look for the one named Bakar. He did not have to go far for the one he was looking for stood at the end of the corridor. The woman named Mai was with him.

“Bakar!” Yami yelled angrily. “How dare you use people’s emotions against them!”

The wicked man remarked with an arrogant grin, “Use them? I merely invite people to use their talents when needed.”

“You have only interest for yourself!” Yami spat.

“I’d watch your temper.” Bakar scoffed. “Least you want something to happen to Yugi.”

Like before, Yami felt something within him snap. His rage engulfed him. Clinching his fists even tighter, his emotion took a physical form. A glow quickly developed around his hands. He was aware of the sensation, but he was filled with too much fury to think clearly. He couldn’t stand Bakar using his companion as a threat. He quickly brought up his arms and flashed a beam of energy. The magic attack aimed straight for Bakar.

The man, however, held no fear. He smiled as he used his own magic. Mai suddenly found herself in front of the evil man. Her eyes expanded with fear as the blast came towards her.

Yami grew shocked about the action he and Bakar took. He saw within Mai’s eyes deep fear. He knew the woman should not be harmed, for she had nothing to do with any of this; she was innocent. Yami did his best to recall his attack. At the last moment, the energy beam vanished.

Everyone turned quiet.

Yami found himself exhausted. He glanced down at his hands and couldn’t believe he almost harmed someone. He promised himself he would never fight since he met Yugi. He had kept that promise. He went back to his original self and challenged people to games. He had liked that option better. He felt more alive from the rush of bliss rather than the sour adrenaline from fighting with a tart victory.

A harsh slap smacked his cheek. He saw Mai had committed the act. He placed one hand on his face where the sting emitted. His sorrowful eyes met with pair of angry orbs. She wanted to say there was no trust nor hope in the world. She remained silent. She stormed away very enraged but also gloomy.

Yami remained shocked about what took place. He felt disgusted with himself. He had employed some acts in his past he regretted. If he had ever allowed himself to have his anger take the best of him, he may have seriously injured other people, including Yugi.

Tears fell down Yami’s face. He turned away from Bakar and ran towards his room.

The sinful man grinned, knowing he finally obtained who he needed.

Yami locked the door and took a seat on his mattress. He buried himself with his sorrow. After crying for hours, the sun had set once more. Yami found himself feeling empty again. Just then, something caught his eye.

A book lied open on his new desk. He strolled over and glanced at the pages. The text carried a spell he was interested in. He quickly picked up the book and skimmed through everything. He couldn’t believe what he was reading. Here was a set of pages where all he had to do was chant the words out loud, and the people he cared about would be safe.

Yami thought of a new problem: He knew he couldn’t only erase one friend’s mind. The group Joey, Tea, and Tristan were in was very strong. They would do all they could to find him. They would even stand by Yugi’s side and try to even bring back his erased memories.

Yami stared up to the ceiling with tears rolling down his face. He assumed it would be best if everyone he ever met forgot about him. He knew what needed to be done.

He sobbed quietly in defeat, “I am so sorry… Yugi.”

* * *

A teen with tri-color hair walked into his room with a gloomy expression. As hard as he tried to find his friend, he had no answers. His other companions assisted with the search, but no leads were made. They all retraced their steps and attempted to uncover the warehouse where everything started. But the mysterious architecture had vanished without a trace.

The group became frustrated. None of them were willing to give up. Although it would be difficult, Yugi knew he would need to get some sleep, so he could continue with his search tomorrow. He stretched and was ready for bed.

He suddenly lost his balance. He placed one hand on his head, swept away from dizziness. He landed safely on his side on his mattress. His mind and chest started to hurt. He felt someone was breaking deep within him. Memories started overflew his mind. He thought his head would explode from the sudden rush. He moaned as visions in front of him vanished.

When the pain disappeared, the teen sat up. He rubbed his chest confused about what happened to him. He paused when his fingers ran across something unfamiliar that was not flesh. He unbuttoned his shirt and gasped. He was completely taken aback seeing stitches over his heart.

“How did these get here!” he shrieked in utter shock. He placed his hand on his head once more. He could vaguely recall an incident that occurred not too long ago.

He was crossing at a crosswalk when a car was moving at an unbelievably fast speed. There was someone who was about to be struck. He remembered he moved his legs as quickly as he could and managed to push the person out of the way. He blanked out for a moment but heard a caring voice call his name. The sound became unfamiliar. He tried his best to see the person he pushed out of the way, but the face was blurry.

Yugi opened his eyes.

He reflected about the action he took.

He had no regrets.

He was glad he was of use to someone.

He smiled softly, “I sure hope that person is ok.”

**To be continued…**


	8. Mystic Artifact

**Chapter 8:** **Mystic Artifact**

A small teen with tri-color hair awoke in his room. He glanced at his clock and knew he must get up. Slowly, he stepped out of bed and began his usual preparations for the day. He took a quick shower, and then placed on his school uniform. He went downstairs and made himself a small breakfast. When he finished, he washed his plate and made his way towards the door where he locked it behind him.

Strolling down his usual path for school, he suddenly stopped. He felt odd. His mind was a tad hazy. He couldn’t focus on anything. He formed a fist and placed it over his chest. Although he felt no physical pain, his heart was telling him something else.

“I just… can’t go to school,” he whispered to himself.

He felt he had something else he must do. He decided to take a different path. He passed by many people shuffling around attempting to get to school, work, or where ever else they needed to be. He paid no mind and eventually made his way to a city park. There were mainly parents with small children or young adults jogging around. Hardly any kids or teenagers were found.

The sky was clear and the weather was fair. The trees were green and the grass was soft. The petite young adult walked around the area. He couldn’t place his finger on it, but a part of him believed he had to look for something at his current location. He soon found a spot on a path of grass. He knelt down on the ground and removed his backpack. He searched his bag but found everything in its place.

“If I’m not missing any of my stuff, why am I here?” he asked himself.

He knew he must attend school, but he decided to walk around a bit longer. He hoped whatever was tugging at him would disappear. He strolled around for another hour or so but did not find anything. He came to a rail and stared out into the scenery. He closed his eyes and sighed. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him.

He eventually left the park and made his way towards his school. By the time he arrived at his destination, the students were all excused for lunch. He went to his locker and placed his belongings in there. He removed a few books for his afternoon classes.

“Hey, Yugi,” greeted a sweet, feminine voice.

The one who was called turned around. He smiled as he saw a girl with short, brown and hair and sapphire eyes wearing a pink blouse and blue skirt. He greeted back, “Hey, Tea.”

“For a moment I thought you were sick.” Tea said. “What happened?”

“Oh… um…” Yugi tried to think about his explanation for his action. He wasn’t sure at all what he was thinking.

“Were you hoping to see that person?” Tea asked as her smile faded and her eyes sadden a bit. She had referred to the one the small teen had pushed out of the way from a drunk driver.

“Well…” Yugi trailed off. He wasn’t sure how to answer. He wanted to reply both affirmative and negative as both were correct.

“Of course I was thinking about going to the park, too,” the female adolescent filled in. “Guess we both had this same feeling.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Yugi whispered with a tiny smile. Even though he believed he would never have a greater relationship with that person, or even be remembered, he still hoped he was fine.

Tea smiled as she said, “Come on, let’s go eat lunch.”

Yugi nodded, and the two walked down the hallway together.

* * *

Deep within a mysterious hallway conceived of sandy bricks, a person with tri-color hair stood alone. Bags lied underneath his eyes, and his spirit felt empty. He couldn’t believe what he had to commit the other day. With his own hands, he made his only friends forget about him. His mind tried everything to convince himself it was for the best, but his heart was not satisfied.

He heard someone stop in front of him, but he did not bother to look up. He already knew who it was. He did not have any energy within in himself to fight back nor did any anger form within him. He wasn’t sure if it were a positive or negative thing.

“Yami, there is something you must see.” Bakar insisted as he stretched out his hand.

The adolescent whose name was called followed. Even though his emotional stress had taken everything, he knew he still had to obey his new boss. Regardless of how he felt, Yami did want to cause Yugi any more harm than he had made. Just the image of the boy was enough for tears to form on his face and jolt his heart.

The two walked down a flight of stone stairs. They went deeper and deeper into the Earth. The two stopped when they entered into an even larger room. The area was constructed out of gray and purple bricks. Above was an even bigger chandelier.

Yami paused seeing a pedestal in the center of the room. On top of it was a glass container that held a mysterious object. The adolescent couldn’t help but feel drawn to it.

Without being told, he made his way towards the item. He peered closely. Inside the center was a black rock. He sensed something powerful within the stone.

“What is this?” he finally asked.

“This is the Dark Stone.” the man answered.

“Dark Stone?” Yami questioned as he glanced back to his boss.

Bakar continued his focus on the charismatic item as he informed, “This rock contains magical properties. The one who is able to hold it without any problems can shape it to a powerful weapon.”

The teen changed his view back to the stone. He really had no need for any weapons at all ever since his heart softened. However, in the back of his mind, he felt compelled to see what the stone could do.

“This is why you’re here.” Bakar stated. “I believe you are the one who will be able to touch this uncanny artifact and shape its will.”

Yami remained silent.

The man understood his employee’s emotion. An evil idea formed into his mind. Rather than play the adolescent’s weakness with his own hands, he tried a different route, “The rock isn’t necessarily destined for any particular soul, just whoever is strong enough to handle it. If not you, then perhaps someone else may drop by and use the magic for selfish gain. He could destroy cities and harm innocent people, even those within this city of Domino.”

Yami’s eyes widened. An image of all his friends came into view. They were all smiling and appeared happy. The picture was then slowly engulfed by darkness.

“No!” a voice called out tensely. “I can’t let that happened!”

The glass case surrounding the artifact vanished. Yami knew what he now must do. He figured it would be best if he took control rather than risk everyone else losing each other. He wished for his friends to live together in harmony. With caution, he raised his right hand towards the black rock. His heart pounded with anticipation. A pair of greedy eyes watched him.

The young adult touched the rock and no harm came to him. Suddenly, the object began to glow. Yami gasped in surprised. The item in his hand started to change form. Soon, he was no longer holding a stone -- but a sword.

“What… What just happened?” Yami asked confused. He felt a warm sensation in him. The feeling started to diminish, but the weapon he held in hand glowed brightly.

“As I said,” Bakar began with a grin, “You have the ability to use magic. Your soul is the only one who was able to bring out the true form of this ancient magic. Now, the sword belongs to you.”

Yami couldn’t believe it. First he shot blasts of energy, and now he was holding something very potent. He then glanced down towards the stone floor. He had known he was always different. He never knew why. People would always avoid him or mistreat him for no reason. Then again, the world was a cold place.

He sighed as he shut his eyes. He remembered how the few people Yugi knew only wanted to protect him.

Flashback

“Yami! I’m home!” Yugi called out.

The older boy whose name was said quickly walked to where his friend had entered. Yami was always overfilled with joy whenever his companion returned from school. He would often welcome his friend back immediately, and then listen politely and with interest to whatever event went on with Yugi and school.

Entering the game portion of the house, he grew surprised seeing a young, female teen with short, brown hair and ocean blue eyes.

“Tea, this is Yami.” Yugi said as he introduced his childhood friend to his new companion. He then turned and said, “Yami I’d like for you to meet Tea Gardner.”

“Hello.” Yami greeted with a smile. He had been anxious to meet the one who was in the picture frame within Yugi’s room. He couldn’t help but chuckle whenever Yugi mentioned what happened at school only to talk his childhood friend and become excited. Yami hoped would meet another friend.

The girl with caring blue eyes and stylish, brown hair only smiled.

“Yami, where’s Grandpa?” Yugi asked as he looked around.

“He said he had a few things to take care of and would be back as soon as he could.” Yami explained.

“Oh, ok.” the teen responded causally.

The three of them went to Yugi’s room. The petite boy tossed his book bag on to his desk. Tea sat on a chair while Yami placed himself on the mattress.

“I’ll go get some snacks,” the smaller boy excused himself, so his two pals could get to know each other.

Yami happily watched the young teen exit the room. He was about to start a conversation with the new girl when he suddenly felt a chill go down his spine. He looked into a pair of eyes filled with anger.

“Is something the matter?” Yami asked, noticing the change in atmosphere.

“You.” the girl began in a harsh tone.

“Me?” the male teen inquired.

“Yes, you!” Tea spat.

“What… what did I do?” Yami questioned, not understanding the situation.

“What do you want with Yugi!” Tea immediately questioned as she stood up.

“What do you mean?” Yami asked a bit hurt.

“I doubt Yugi did anything to upset you,” the female adolescent began sternly. “Why are you with him? Why are you living with him! Do you plan to harm him and hurt him far more than he already is!”

Yami grew quiet. He didn’t realize how much his friend had suffered before the two had met. He gazed at the ground as the questions sunk in. He never had any intention of hurting the one who showed him kindness. He was glad he had met someone who did not allow his heart to harden because of the way the world was.

“I’m here because… I want to be friends… with Yugi.” Yami finally admitted. He felt relieved as his heart leaped with joy upon confessing the truth. “Before… I had no place to be… I had no family, no friends… I allowed myself to be filled with hatred because of the way I was treated… But Yugi… he showed me something no one else had… I want to be there for him… like he was for me.”

Tea was taken aback by the answer she had received. She looked deeply into a pair of purple eyes and knew the one named Yami was telling the truth. She took her seat and had everything sink in. She now understood why her small companion was often anxious to arrive at home; he had managed to meet someone new on his own.

“I’m sorry,” she began.

Yami looked up and clearly saw how much Tea cared for her childhood companion.

“It’s just that… a lot of people would take advantage of Yugi’s kindness… Some would even bully him because they view kindness as weakness. I… I just don’t want to see him hurt anymore…”

“I understand.” Yami agreed. “Kindness is in no way a sign weakness. It is far harder to be nice to those who are unfair to you and mistreat you. Forgiveness is a virtue rarely anyone follows anymore. But please understand I only wish to be friends with someone who had shown me the world is not so bitter.”

Tea’s eyes widen when she heard, “And I would also like to be friends you; you, too, have such a kind and courageous spirit.”

The girl blushed a little. She never heard words like that coming from anyone else. She nodded with acceptance. She also wanted to be friends with someone whom cared about the one named Yugi.

“Sorry I took so long.” Yugi said with a smile as he re-entered with a tray filled with snacks.

“It was no problem.” Tea assured.

“So, did you both managed to talk about something?” Yugi asked as he took a seat next to his male companion.

Tea and Yami looked at each other.

They both smiled.

“We did.” Yami answered.

“That’s good.” Yugi responded happily. He was glad to know his two friends were getting along. He was also pleased his group of buddies had expanded.

End Flashback

“I hope Tea can continue to be there for Yugi…” Yami mumbled.

 **To be continued** …


	9. Missing You

**Chapter 9: Missing You**

A little boy with long, thick, black hair and metallic purple eyes stared out his window. He placed one hand below his chin and the other on his hip. His legs were somewhat crossed as he leaned against the windowsill. The sky was a tad dark out, and the wind blew bitterly.

Behind him, his room was warm and cozy with the sound of cracking wood emitting from the fireplace. The boy sighed. He didn’t feel right. He felt something was missing. But he couldn’t figure it out.

“Mokuba!” called a sweet, feminine voice. “Make sure to take a jacket if you plan to go out!”

“Ok,” the child agreed. He strolled over to a coat rack and took off one of the clothing articles which belonged to him. As he placed on the sleeves, he paused. He sighed as he shook his head.

As reached for the doorknob, he thought sadly, “ _I wish I had a big brother to play with me_.”

* * *

An adolescent with tri-color hair stood in the center of a giant room. Above him, a vast pendulum swung. He had his eyes glued to the ground. Around him were two males and one female. The group had been ordered to stand in the position they were in. The teen with brown hair stood at the edge a large circle encrusted at the bottom. A woman with blonde hair took her place at the opposite end.

With one swift action, Kaiba blasted a shot of blue energy. Yami instantly held the sword in front of his face. He blocked the attack with ease. Mai raised her hands and allowed purple vine-like powers escape from her. The climbing plant crawled its way towards the center stage. Just before a move was made, Yami took his weapon and chopped up the mystic trailing shrub before a scratch could be placed on him.

Bakar grinned as the training with his new apprentice using his new found power proceeded well. No one gave the other a hard time. Even though they were not friends, everyone had made a silent mutual agreement.

Mai remained silent while Kaiba would only glare at Bakar, then Yami.

The tri-color hair teen did not enjoy receiving such stares, but he did have empathy with the tall, young adult. Yami sighed as he was a tad tired from working so hard. He buried himself with his powers. Even a split second of peace caused him to be filled with distraught and distress.

“Good work, my apprentices,” the man praised. “Go ahead and take a break.”

Kaiba and Mai left the room right away.

Bakar glanced towards Yami and grinned maliciously. He then stepped out.

Once alone, Yami sighed. He felt empty. The other two people who were in the similar situation did not appear friendly. Despite several attempts to at least talk with them, they sent the new guy away. The one with purple eyes longed to be back with the people he cared about. He was curious to know how the group was getting alone without him.

Yami stared out the window with a hollow gaze.

Flashback

A teen with tri-color hair and narrow purple eyes was busy washing dishes when he heard his friend return from school. Upon his entrance, the older teen turned around with a smile and expected to see his friend’s bright attitude. He became shocked seeing the smaller one had a black eye, a cut on his face, and his hair unruly. Yami dropped the dish, which landed safely into the soapy water, and went over to assist Yugi.

The boy pushed aside his friend who was only trying to help him. He was ashamed about what happened to him. He rushed to his room in despair.

Yami was about to go after him when he realized the boy needed to be alone for a while.

The phone rang soon after. He went to answer the device without question.

“Hello,” Yami said a tad distant to the other line.

“Hello? Yami?” asked a cheery voice. “Is Yugi there?”

“Oh, hey, Tea,” the boy greeted sadly.

“What’s wrong?” she questioned as she observed the gloomy tone she received.

“Wait, were you not with Yugi earlier?”

“No, I had some stuff to do after school.”

“Oh… I see…”

“Why? Yami! What happened!”

“… I think someone had bullied Yugi.”

“Is he ok?”

“I… I’m not sure.”

“Should I come over?”

“… No, I’ll talk with him tonight… But I do see what you meant when you said he‘s been hurt before.”

“Yeah… Will you let him know I called?”

“Of course.”

Yami hung up the phone.

He glanced out the window and saw how cloudy it was outside and became deep in thought. He was shocked someone would be so cruel to someone who was as generous and light-hearted as Yugi. He clinched his fists tightly. He wanted to march over the school and beat up the ones who took advantage of Yugi and sue the school for allowing such horrible activities to take place.

Yami let out a sigh. He knew he couldn’t do such an act; Yugi may not like having to do homework or deal with vexatious students, but he enjoyed learning and being around his female companion. Yami figured it would be best for now to attend not only to Yugi’s physical wounds but his emotional ones as well.

He climbed up the stairs and went towards Yugi’s room. He knocked on the door to see if he would receive a response. When he did not, he turned the unlocked handle. He opened the door with ease. Across the room, he spotted his small friend lying on his bed on his side with his back towards the entrance.

“Yugi?” Yami asked gently.

Still, the small form did not reply.

Yami stepped into the room quietly and took a seat on his companion’s mattress. The petite adolescent had his eyes closed but was not asleep. Yami tenderly brushed Yugi’s bangs away from his face. Yugi unlocked his pupils and glanced up at his friend who cared about him.

“Come on,” Yami tried to encourage with tiny curved up lips. “Let’s go clean you up.”

Yugi remained mute but allowed his pal to assist him to stand up and walk with him towards the bathroom. The taller one had the smaller one kneel down in front of the tub. Yami turned on the shower and carefully washed his friend’s messy hair. Yugi closed his eyes and enjoyed the brief moments of feeling the cool, refreshing water, along with the gentle massage of shampoo and conditioner. His head was dried off with a towel after cleaning the remaining suds away.

Yami had the boy sit on the toilet. He reached for the First Aid kit located below the sink and rummaged through it. He pulled out a band aid and placed the item on the sink. He took an alcohol swipe and opened the package.

“This will sting a little.” he softly warned. He lifted the boy’s face, but his eyes remained lowered to the ground with shame. As Yami washed away a small cut, the younger one did not flinch. Yami grew worried but did his best to remain calm. He placed away the supplies back, and as he did Yugi stared at the floor and kept quiet.

“Let’s go put some ice on your eye.” Yami instructed after placing a band aid on the cut.

The two left the bathroom and went down into the kitchen. Yugi sat on a chair and was handed an icepack wrapped with a paper towel.

Yami placed on the stove a teapot to boil. He reached for a mug from one of the cabinets and placed in a packet of hot cocoa. He then searched for an oven mitt. When the sound of a whistle was heard, he carefully poured the boiling water into the mug. He then placed in some mini marshmallows, as he knew how much the adolescent enjoyed the fluffy, white treat.

“Here,” he offered his friend in a steady voice. He knew the boy would need something warm in his system after a cold day at school.

Yugi removed his icepack from his eye and sat it on the table. He then reached for the drink he had been offered. He stared down into the chocolate water with a distant glance.

There was silence between the two. All that could be heard for a minute or two was the sound of a clock ticking. Yami knew this would not be an easy subject to talk about, but he had to do everything he could to assist someone who had helped him so much.

“So, what happened?” Yami asked as gently as he could.

Yugi shut his eyes.

Yami knew this would be painful for his companion, but he wanted to know what took place, so he could take proper steps to assist.

Yugi understood the other adolescent only wanted to support him. He slowly whispered, “Someone… beat me up…”

“Who?”

“Some of the… bigger, older students.”

“What did they want?”

“…Nothing in particular… Just money…”

“I see,” was all Yami could say.

The smaller boy stayed quiet. He attempted to take a sip of his warm drink but was still shaken by the event.

Yami observed the way his friend acted. He figured the ones who picked on Yugi today would most likely attack the next day. If bullies obtained an easy target, they would surely strike again. He had seen this tragic event many times in his dark past. He even, at times, had to use physical strength to protect himself. As much as he wanted to fight fire with fire, he knew he couldn’t. His first concern was Yugi, and the boy had a strong disliking against revenge.

“Yugi, tomorrow I will walk with you to and from school.” Yami stated his decision.

The smaller one did not speak. He only nodded.

The older one noticed how passive his companion was. He didn’t want Yugi to believe he was too weak without anyone assisting him.

“The ones who picked on you today will most likely be back the tomorrow.” the taller adolescent tried to explain. “I just want to ensure no one else harms you.”

The small boy glanced up, appearing he had something to say. Yami waited patiently to listen to what was on the other one‘s mind. However, Yugi only nodded once more.

* * *

The next morning, the two boys walked towards Yugi’s high school. Yami was a bit worried the smaller one was quite. Yugi was normally cheery and always had something to say. However, today he only made small talk. As the two of them finally reached their destination there appeared to not be any trouble at all.

“Hey Yami! Yugi!” greeted a chirpy voice.

The two of them turned to see Tea coming up to them. She had with her the usual, enthusiastic smile and caring blue eyes. “Good morning to you both.”

“Morning, Tea,” the taller of the boys greeted back.

“How do you feel, Yugi?” Tea asked tenderly towards her vertically challenged friend.

“Fine,” Yugi replied softly.

Yami and Tea glanced at their companion, who was looking at the ground glumly. They both easily spotted the bruise over his eye and the band aid over the tiny cut on his face. They then saw he looked over and stared at two other adolescents, who were causing a loud racket between each other. One had messy blonde hair while the other was a little bit taller and had straight brown hair.

Yami clinched his fits together. He wondered if those were the ones who gave his friend a hard time the other day.

Tea saw this and tried to calm her friend down.

“Don’t worry about those two.” she assured as she shook her head a bit.

“Why not?” Yami asked as he changed his view towards the girl.

“They may act tough when they’re at the arcade, but they’re just class clowns.” Tea explained casually. “They couldn’t scare a puzzle to pieces even if they tried.”

Yami couldn’t help but chuckle at the statement.

Just then, the two students passed by the three of them. The blonde one stopped for a moment. He looked over towards the smallest adolescent in the group. He commented candidly, “Nice scrapes. They make you look tough. Like a real man!”

The two tall males left.

Yugi grew stunned about the compliment he received. A small smile crept over his face.

“What dorks.” Tea commented.

Yami nodded. He then observed his smaller friend and noticed how much more relax the petite student appeared after the remark was made. He figured his pal would like to hang out with the two comics. He joked with a smile, “You should go talk with them.”

“What?” Yugi asked a bit surprised, returning to reality.

Yami laughed a little and said, “I should be leaving now. If you feel unwell then go ahead and call and I’ll be over here to pick you up.”

Yugi nodded as he understood.

“See you later, Yami.” Tea waved.

“Yeah, I’ll be here right after school.” he replied then walked away.

* * *

When classes were done for the day, Yami had met his two comrades as he had said.

“What if we go over to the Spider Arcade today?” he suggested openly the group.

“What about Grandpa?” Yugi asked concerned.

“He said it would be fine if we go.” the other explained.

With the granted permission, Yugi and Tea agreed.

The walk towards the gaming area went along fine. Both Tea and Yami were relieved seeing Yugi smiling and acting like his usual self. The three took a seat over at a table. Yugi excused himself to go to the bathroom and left.

Yami went about to ask Tea about the day, “How was he?”

“A little quieter than usual,” the girl stated honestly. “But I’m glad he’s feeling better.”

“As am I.” Yami agreed.

The one who was talked about returned to his two friends. The three played several arcade games. Soon, Yugi saw the two boys he wanted to talk with were not too far from where he was.

They were both playing at an old school arcade video machines. The one with blonde hair became furious he lost once more to the computer. The other companion with brown hair only laughed.

Yugi recalled the three of them got along well during a class where they were all placed together for a project. He wanted to speak with them outside of school but was nervous.

Yami observed this. He wanted his friend to gain courage of his own. He was always glad to have him by his side, and he wished for others to enjoy the same. He whispered kindly, “You should go talk with them.”

“About what?” Yugi replied in a shaky tone.

“Offer them some advice for that game.” Yami suggested. “You do well in those levels. You have one of the high scores. They seem to be enjoying themselves with it. Go over and help them.”

Yugi swallowed hard. His two friends were encouraging him to try and meet new people. He nodded. He reached into his bag and found a notebook that belonged to the person with gold hair. He wanted to return it the next day, but he felt this would be a good way to begin his conversation.

He gathered the little strength he had from his companions and carefully wobbled his way over towards the other male adolescents. When the one with shaggy hair lost again, the small teen took the opportunity to talk.

“Um… Joey, Tristan.” Yugi began sheepishly.

The two boys turned their heads and grew surprised seeing one of their classmates at their usual hangout spot.

The small peer held out a notebook and said, “You, uh, forgot this in class.”

Joey accepted the notebook and thanked his peer.

Yugi smiled. He made a comment about the game that was being played and offered some help. After playing one round with the advice, Joey actually won and made it to the next level. Through their time together, the group of males got along. Yugi offered less and less instructions and gave more and more encouragement. Joey continued on until he ran out of tokens.

“Gee, thanks Yugi!” Joey said with gratitude.

Yugi smiled humbly, “It was nothing.”

“Nothing? It’s pretty impressive you have a high score on this.” Tristan praised.

“Yeah, think you can help me with another game?” Joey asked.

Yugi nodded, “Sure.”

Yami became relieved seeing the males getting alone. He was happy for his young friend. He was glad the teen had his group expanding.

The happiness did not last as trouble made its way into the arcade. Just as Yugi was having fun with his two new companions, the same group of bullies who gave him a hard time arrived. They walked over towards the game station where Yugi was playing and giving some instructions to the other males.

“This game is a lot of fun,” one male mocked as he placed his hands in front of the screen. “Why not let us try this?”

“But…” Yugi wanted to protest when his rocket ship was destroyed by a meteor. He had been doing well until his vision was blocked off. The screen now read “Game Over”.

“Hey!” Joey yelled annoyed. “Don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt someone when they’re playing a game!”

“Well, according to the machine, Yugi’s game is over.” replied a second bully.

“Then let’s play a different game together.” Tristan replied as he punched one hand into his opposite.

“No, wait!” Yugi shouted. “We shouldn’t fight! That isn’t right!”

“Heh, shrimpy over there would get pulverized!” laughed a third person.

Joey saw how the small teen glanced at the floor with shame. His new friend couldn’t take the insult. He snatched his drink and splashed it over the three mean students. As he did, he added confidently, “Why don’t you all cool yourselves off.”

The group of males did not appreciate the act. They came closer and closer with angry faces. Joey and Tristan stood their ground. They were prepared to fight, like they always had. However, they became surprised seeing the small boy stand in front of them. Yugi didn’t want them to get hurt because of him.

The group of bullies charge at him, but Yugi refused to move. The match had one and one. Joey and Tristan took on the group of misfits, but one of them bypassed them and knocked the wind out of Yugi. Before another punch could be thrown towards the smallest adolescent, the fist was caught in a new hand.

Both Yugi and the trouble maker glanced up seeing Yami had paused the fight. With rage built in him, Yami was ready to take a swing at the delinquent. However, when he looked at his friend, he prevented himself from doing so. He tried to find a better solution. His eyes caught an old game.

He smiled as he said, “Let’s play a game.”

The battle stopped. Everyone looked over at the confident, young adult. He pointed over to an old table top game of soccer. As he did he said, “If it’s a game you’re looking for, then perhaps this will satisfy your craving.”

The ring leader of the group appeared interested in the challenge. Everyone walked over towards the large table. Inside were rows of mini players in painted uniforms connected to sets of twirling poles.

Yami stood on one side and explained the rules, “Best two our three goals wins. The loser will leave the other person alone.”

“And if I win, then you all hand over all the money you have.” the arrogant male conditioned.

Yami placed in a quarter, and as he did he announced, “Game start!”

The ball with black and white pentagons busted out. The two males hurriedly moved their poles to gain momentum over the ball. Their eyes rapidly moved across the field to see where the desire object was launched to next. With one smooth move, Yami found the target and kicked the ball across. The item landed into his opponent’s goal.

Joey, Tristan, Yugi, and Tea cheered. Yami smirked. The three bullies were troubled by this. Another round was played. The ball did not go as fast as it did in the first round. Yami believed this haughtily teen was not a talented gamer. He decided to end this game before anything else could occur.

Yami took the ball and had his figure quickly flipped as he twirled the rotating bar. The soccer ball entered his opponent’s goal with ease. The main bully became shocked by the outcome of the round. Everyone on the side of victory cheered.

The misfits were upset by this. They didn’t care about the deal they’ve made. They quickly made their way over to Yami and were ready to beat him up for making one of them look like a fool. Before a strike could be made by anyone, Yugi bravely placed himself in front of his buddy. He was slid to the side and hit the table top game. Tea rushed to her friend’s aid.

Before another move was made, the two from behind were caught by Joey and Tristan. They didn’t appreciate their peers not upholding to their agreement. The bullies froze in their tracks. They weren’t prepared for the blazing eyes they were receiving, especially from the one with gold bangs. They knew the three teens could now easily beat them up as they were upset over the action of their small companion. They ran off in fear.

As they did, Yami shouted, “You better not harm him again!”

He calmed down hearing Tea ask, “Yugi, are you ok?”

He turned to see two males and one girl by his side. Joey and Tristan assisted Yugi to standing up. As they did, the small adolescent replied, “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“I’ll go get you something to drink.” Tristan insisted.

Joey and Yami helped Yugi sit down at a bench.

The one with blond hair remarked, “Way to be a man and stand up for your friends.”

Yugi smiled at the compliment.

Yami felt his heart become warm seeing his companion finding new friends.

End flashback

Yami sighed as he whispered, “Even without me, I sure hope everyone is happy together.”

* * *

“Ok, Yugi, I’ll see you tomorrow!” Tea said in a cheery voice.

Yugi nodded, and the two departed from the classroom. He walked to his locker and placed away his stuff. He sighed unhappily. He knew once he arrived at home, the place would be empty. He wished the girl he spoke with could come over and give him some company, but she had her dance lesson to attend to. And with his grandfather out of town, the boy dreaded the walk and entrance back home. There would be no one to welcome him and ask him how his day was. He also couldn’t return the kind gesture.

He placed on his bag and walked down the corridor. On his way, two teens were coming from the opposite direction. One had straight, brown hair while the other had messy, gold hair.

“Man, I can’t believe you dragged me all the way to the park for nothing!” the student with brown hair complained.

“Hey, it wasn‘t for nothing!” the other one argued. “And beside, you said something was telling you to go to the park as well!”

The petite adolescent with tri-color hair and the one with blonde only passed each other.

There were no exchanged glances or conversations.

**To be continued…**


	10. Wicked Charm

**Chapter 10: Wicked Charm**

Tea placed down her pine green duffle bag with hot pink straps and took a seat on a locker room bench. She removed her school shoes and eagerly placed on her pink slippers, looking forward to another day of practice. She had been reciting her dance routine for days and days. She wanted to be ready for her grand performance next month.

She glanced down at the silver bench. On it laid several invitations that had a green cover and a pink silhouette of a ballerina. All the dancers received them and were asked to pass them out to friends, family, and other guests.

She would obviously give them to her own parents, and she told herself she would save one for her small friend with tri-color hair. However, she wasn’t sure who else she could bring along. She closed her eyes and sighed. She had been feeling different lately. Her instructor had mentioned this as it affected the girl’s exercise, but she could not figure out the reason behind it.

She stood up and stared out into space.

She wondered what her friend was up to

She wondered what Yugi was up to.

* * *

“Please, Tristan!” a teen with gold hair begged after the two had been released from a lecture by one of their teachers.

“No way, Joey!” a student with brown hair denied. “There’s no way I’m picking up your slack at school.”

“Come on! It’s only cleaning duty.” Joey tried to convince.

“Then you do it!” Tristan snapped back.

“I can’t! Serenity’s been wanting to meet up with me for a while!” Joey tried to reason.

“Go ask someone else!” Tristan replied stubbornly.

He glanced out the school’s window as he tried to ignore his pal’s customary whining. Looking down, he saw a kid with tri-color hair. The tiny teen knelt down and picked up a piece of trash. He then made his way over to a garbage can and threw away the useless crumpled up paper. Tristan couldn’t help but feel different whenever he looked at the strange student with puppy dog eyes.

“Please, Tristan!” Joey pleaded once more.

“Fine, I’ll do it.” he finally agreed.

“Ok! And of course you know I won’t pay you back in any way, shape, or forum, right?” Joey playfully stated his usual joking routine whenever he asked for a favor.

“Whatever, man.” Tristan replied as he walked down the hall.

He felt different once more. He recalled he had a similar feeling earlier. Both he and his friend went to the park to try and find something. As much as they searched and walked around, nothing was found.

Joey looked at his pal confused before walking away.

* * *

Sometime before…

Bakar had been watching his most powerful apprentice carefully. Although Yami had controlled the Dark Stone well, he was still distracted by something. Bakar was not happy about this: If he wished to have authority, he would need to find a way to have his employee stop mourning. He figured playing his trump card about Yugi would provide less effect for Yami to obey. He instead formed a different idea.

“Your powers have been trained nicely, but you seem troubled by something.” Bakar began only to receive a harsh glance from the adolescent with gold bangs. The man caught this and went on with ease, “Surely the one named Yugi was able to continue moving forward, why can’t you?”

Yami turned around in shame. He had been practicing hard. He had been doing everything he was told. He allowed himself to be immersed through the rush of adrenaline once more. He used his new found powers to fight once more.

Yet he couldn’t help but worry about his friend. As much as tried to forget, he just couldn’t. The small teen had taught the older one about forgiveness and the strength for standing up for others instead of just for one’s self. However, the unfortunate predicament the two were in caused a great ache in Yami’s heart.

Placing his hands in his pocket, the depressed, young adult replied, “Because this is all my fault…”

Bakar listened with hungry ears, aware of what the teen was speaking about. He remained silent, so the conversation could continue.

“Ever since that incident… From that day on, Yugi had to see the doctor often…” Yami began. He spoke as though he was remembering something to himself rather than informing someone.

Flashback

Yami and Yugi waited in one of the many rooms where doctors and nurses examined their patients for checkups. Yugi sat on a cold, high bench while Yami took his place on a lower bench. The two waited for Yugi’s doctor to walk in for the habitual procedure.

Yami had his arms crossed against his chest as he tapped his foot impatiently. He always disliked being in the hospital; too many people were walking around and too many strange smells annoyed his senses. But he always volunteered himself to go, so he would be supportive of his friend.

The smaller boy closed his eyes and sighed. He was tired of the same actions and the same questions, but he knew it was all necessary. He was aware this was for his own health. He opened his pupils and noticed the older boy grew from irritable to anguish.

Yugi smiled as he reassured, “Don’t worry; I’m fine.”

At that moment, the doctor came in. He wore thick glasses and had simple brown hair. He had a white coat on and carried a brown clipboard in hand. The greetings and conversations were quick. The man placed his stethoscope over Yugi’s chest. The young boy closed his eyes and did whatever he was told. The man looked at his watch. He then wrote down any important information on paper.

The older boy watched the professional carefully. He hated having to come back to the same room to see the same person, but he did so for the sake of his companion. He believed greatly in his heart if the roles had been reversed, Yugi would stay by Yami’s side.

Yugi was asked to remove his shirt. Yami stood up and assisted the small teen. The doctor observed Yugi’s breathing with great attention. He moved forward and examined the stitches on Yugi’s chest. Yami felt his own heart beat rapidly. He clinched his hands into fists tightly as he glanced towards the white tile floor. He felt guilty, for he knew the reason Yugi had to be here was because of him.

“Have you been experiencing any problems,” the doctor asked Yugi.

“No,” the boy answered honestly.

“And as for your physical education credit, what has the school decided about that?”

“They said I was excused due to my condition. But I wanted to stay since my friends were in there, and they allowed it.”

“And what are you doing in class?”

“Just walking around the field or basketball court.”

“Nothing too strenuous?”

“No.”

“What do you do when something does happen?”Yugi paused for a moment. He could tell he was being watched like a hawk by Yami. He was accustomed to the taller one listening to every single word. He closed his eyes and told the truth, “…Take a seat and wait for the pain to pass.”

“Are they in huge or small amounts of pain?” the doctor questioned as he continued to write.

Yugi didn‘t want his friend to be overly worried. He simply answered, “It doesn’t hurt that badly. Really.”

“Have you also been doing the breathing techniques you were shown?” the man questioned.

Yugi glanced over at his friend and then to the professional. He had been doing what he had been told, so he could be in little pain as possible. He replied slowly, “Yes.”

When the whole examination was done once more, the two boys left and made their way back home. Yami was glad to be out of the office, but his expression changed hearing Yugi breath out loud again. He stopped walking and looked towards the other boy.

Yugi glanced up and saw how concerned Yami was once more.

“Yami, you need to stop worrying.” he tried to comfort. “I keep telling you, I’m fine.”

End flashback

“I know he tried not to worry me,” the older boy continued. “But I could see in his eyes he was terrified. I would often check in on him in the middle of the night. Most nights were fine, but it‘s when he suffers from nightmares–”

Yami slammed his fist into the wall.

He clearly held a vision in his mind of the smaller boy gasping from pain that emitted from his chest. The older boy would rush over and try to comfort Yugi. Only once did the teen actually fall unconscious after having such an attack. Even though there was no need to call the hospital, Yami drowned himself with remorse.

“Yugi… you were hurt trying to protect me… Now I’m here trying to protect you…” Yami mumbled in a shaky tone to himself.

Bakar stood up from his chair and advised arrogantly, “Yami, you should listen to your friend. You shouldn’t be so overly concern.”

The adolescent was not convinced.

An evil grin grew over Bakar, thinking of something else. He said casually, “Yami, you have been working hard lately, most likely for the protection of your young companion. Is the true reason behind all this is because you don’t trust him?”

Yami shot a confused glance towards Bakar.

The older person chuckled a bit, “Your friend is able to trust in himself that he’ll be fine. I’m sure he actually did tell you whenever he did not feel well. But how often did you have faith in his word?”

Yami glanced at the floor. The questions pierced his heart heard. He knew friendships were based on trusts. He pondered with every concern stare and constant questions he had given towards the boy that he subconsciously did not bestow proper credit towards his companion. Yami sighed; Yugi was in need of support, not protection. The older boy should have been there for comfort, not guilt.

Yami groaned once again as he admitted, “You’re right.”

An evil grin grew over Bakar.

“Would you like to see him?”

Yami shot a pair of widened, innocent eyes. His desire to see his buddy once more glimmered in his pupils. He wanted so much for his comrade to be all right.

Bakar closed his eyes and snapped his fingers. A few feet away from the two, a portal appeared. Yami’s pupils enlarged once more when he saw the screen. In view were two students, one girl and one boy. Both were smiling and enjoying each other’s company.

The teen swallowed hard as he whispered, “Yugi.”

“It appears as though everything’s fine.” Bakar interjected.

The depressed adolescent lowered his head. He sighed in defeat. The petite boy seemed happy, even with Yami out of his life.

The adolescent with magical powers agreed then and there to stop submerging himself with distraught emotions. He would allow the boy to continue living his life without himself interfering. He figured so long as Yugi had his memories erased and was happy it would be as though he never made his way into the small teen’s perfect life.

* * *

The two friends departed for the day. The small smile on the boy’s face dwindled. He felt something was wrong. He couldn’t figure out what it was.

After throwing away some trash, he strolled down the sidewalk towards the grocery store. He needed to pick up some supplies for himself. When he was done with his errand, he noticed a girl with long, light brown hair and olive eyes. She appeared struggling with her bags. Yugi raced over and offered his assistance. The two laughed and talked as they made their way to a city park.

“Oh, my name is Yugi Muto.” the male teen said.

The girl smiled as she replied, “Mine is Serenity Wheeler.”

“Wheeler, huh? Do you have a brother that goes to Domino High School?”

“Yeah, Joey is my brother. He’s just running late today, though. I think it’s because he got detention again.”

“Yeah, he does cause some trouble during class.”

“But he is a good brother! He would have helped me if he were here.”

“Don’t worry; I believe you. I think he actually had cleaning duty today.”

Yugi had seen the way Joey acted. Even though the one with a rough attitude would cause problems from time to time, he did listen to what Yugi said when they worked together on a school project. A part of Yugi wished he could talk with him outside of school, but he did not have the courage to do so on his own.

Once at the place of destination, the two set down the girl’s bags on a picnic table. Serenity offered Yugi to stay, chat, and meet her brother. Yugi had a strong desire to stay. However, he believed it would be best to allowed two siblings to spend time with each other. He gingerly declined the offer.

He reached for his brown book bag and left. As he walked along, he looked back. He shook his head and proceeded on his way.

Just as he left, another teen with blonde hair arrived.

“Hey, Serenity!” he called out.

The girl smiled and welcomed her big brother.

“Sorry I’m late.” Joey apologized. “I had some stuff at school and–”

“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Serenity giggled. “Besides, I had help carrying this stuff with someone named Yugi.”

“Yugi? Yugi Muotu?” Joey questioned.

“Yeah, he had on the same uniform as you.” the girl added. “He said you both even had a few classes together.”

The blond glanced back down. He recalled the one named Yugi was the student who sat in back of class and played games by himself. He also occasionally hung around with a bold girl with short, brown hair. Joey bit his nail on his thumb. For some reason, the image of the face was pulling at him.

The only logical answer that came to mind was that he had wanted to teach Yugi to be a man. Surprisingly when the two of them talked, Yugi listened to what Joey had to say and did not add insults. The smile petite peer was also genuine and made the goofy boy feel welcomed.

“Um, Joey?” Serenity called out when she noticed her brother appeared to be dazed. “You ok?”

“Hmm?” the adolescent replied. He grinned as he went through the bag and asked, “So what snacks did you bring?”

“I guess he is.” the girl laughed to herself.

However, she did not notice her sibling looking out into the distant once more.

**To be continued…**


	11. Right Place, Wrong Reason

**Chapter 11: Right Place, Wrong Reason**

Yugi opened the family shop. He waited at the counter for people to come by. The day was not at all busy. He took out a game guide and read the print his eyes already had skimmed through hundreds of times. He glanced up when the tiny silver bell above the door rang. In the doorway stood a boy with thick, raven hair and metallic purple eyes.

“Hello.” Yugi greeted with a smile. “Can I help you?”

“I was wondering if you had any single player games.” the child said.

“Oh, sure.” Yugi replied as he stepped away from his post.

He walked over to one of the bookshelves with many different display sets. He pulled down several activities, so the younger boy could see his options. Because the boy grew unsure of his decision, Yugi went ahead and took out the games from their cases.

The child grew surprised by this, but Yugi reassured him, “It’ll be fine. Games are meant to be played with.”

The two sat down for a joyous afternoon. It was easy since no one else came to the shop. Yugi was glad the young boy came along who had an interest in games. He could see he made the child happy.

He introduced himself warmly, “My name is Yugi. What’s yours?”

“Mokuba,” the boy answered.

“Well, Mokuba,” Yugi began, “did you want to play some two-player games?”

“Yeah!” Mokuba replied with excitement.

The two played blissfully until it was time for Mokuba to leave. After a purchase was made, Yugi had invited back the child for more games and fun. The one with black hair agreed. When Mokuba left, Yugi began to lock up. He stopped for a moment and sighed.

His heart battled between mixed emotions. He was pleased he had some fun with someone new, but he was also glum about being alone in his house once more.

* * *

With the grand power he had unlocked, Yami was given a new spell book. He discovered ones where he could transport himself quickly. He could also turn himself invisible, and he managed to learn new attack techniques. He tried them out in an open space far below the dark architecture he was kept in.

As he focused his energy, a symbol of a circle with four triangles glowed on the floor. His body and spirit were not accustomed to such a strong pull of his magic. He grew tired and took a seat on the ground.

Yami stared down at the Dark Stone morphed into a sword. He grew feel hollow inside. He was told he was needed here, but something was not right. He felt he was being used. He was in his current position because of what he had, not for who he was. Here, he was not loved, like he was when he was with his friends.

In the back of his mind, memories from where he actually was needed faded away.

Flashback

Yami stretched his arms with a grin as he walked down from the bathroom. He was content about the busy day the store had earlier, and he was glad he was useful in assisting costumers. It was the middle of the night, so he ensured himself to not disturb anyone else in the house. He paused seeing light shining underneath a door that belonged to Yugi‘s room.

“Hmm… I wonder if Yugi fell asleep with the lights on again,” he mumbled to himself with a smile. In the past he would check on his friend and found him at his desk asleep while the top was covered in game pieces. Sometimes he would wake Yugi up and guide him to bed while other nights he would only place a blanket over him.

As Yami walked closer to the door, his ears picked up the sound of someone shuffling throughout the room. He wanted to confirm everything was all right, so he gently knocked on the door. He observed the noise behind the door stopped. He turned the handle and noticed it was not locked. Opening the door, he saw a wide awake Yugi.

“Is everything all right?” Yami asked with care.

The smaller boy glanced away. Fear lied in the back of his eyes. He attempted to hide it as he did not want to worry his friend.

“What’s wrong?” Yami questioned with care as he stepped closer. Throughout the pass few nights, the small teen could be heard screaming, crying in pain and waking up others. When Yugi did not respond, the taller one asked concerned, “Did you have another nightmare?”

The younger teen shook. The vision he recently endured haunted him persistently. He tried to relax himself but was too frighten to do so on his own. Yami went up to his friend and pulled him closer. The two sat on the bed as the petite boy had calmed down since someone was with him.

“Everything will to be all right.” Yami soothed. Back to when he was alone, he wished he had someone to talk about his dreams, nightmares, and any issues with someone. He always helped brighten up his friend whenever Yugi needed someone. He figured one reason the fright returned often was because the young one kept it to himself. Yami offered in a soft tone, “Do you want to talk about it?”

After some time passed, Yugi told his friend about his reoccurring nightmare. Someone was going to kidnap the younger one and harm him while the taller one was unable to assist unless he left him. The older boy listened politely. His own heart ached at the idea of being separated from someone so kind. He was glad this was only a horrific vision and not a part of reality.

“Feeling better?” Yami inquired with Yugi nodding his head.

The smaller one held on to his companion and said with a tiny smile, “Thank you.”

The older boy smiled back. He glanced over towards the clock and noticed how late it was. He was about to leave and allow his friend to rest when he felt someone tugged on him. He looked down and saw Yugi did not want his close pal to leave.

“Please don’t go.” Yugi whispered forlornly as he shut his eyes.

Yami grew a bit surprised by the boy’s reaction. He understood Yugi may still be afraid.

“Ok,” the taller one agreed. “But I promise: I won’t leave you. Not from anything or anyone. You accepted me for who I am, and I shall be forever grateful you did.”

The two placed the covers over themselves with their backs against the headboard. Yugi placed his head on Yami’s chest. Allowing the comforting pledge to enter his heart, he returned back to sleep with ease. Yami looked out the window and saw a full moon.

He couldn’t help but smile.

He was actually needed and wanted by someone.

End Flashback

“I‘m sorry, Yugi; it seems as though your nightmare came true,” he mumbled.

He glanced out a small window and saw a crescent moon. He couldn’t tell if the silver rock in the vast sky was growing or waning. He shook his head; the idea didn’t matter.

He strolled down the long corridor with ease; he grew accustom to the mysterious place. The area reflected his heart, a dark and lonely place where magic dwelled. As much as he wanted to continue with his new life where he was trained, he didn’t feel right.

He stopped and looked down at his sword once more. He had powers, magical strength he lost control over when his rage became too much for him to handle. His weapon gave him a reason to still be here. Yami shook his head. His mind and boss told him that, but his heart disagreed. He had been here against his will. His friends were harmed because of a man named Bakar.

Proceeding on his way silently, he hurriedly glanced into two different rooms. He spotted Kaiba unhappily go through the same game of chess over and over. He knew the teen longed to be with his brother once more. He also saw Mai sitting in her room alone with a distant, depressed look on her face. Even though she was told she belonged here, she was not satisfied with her location.

Yami looked at the Dark Stone once more. He wished he could do something. He wished he could take his weapon and slash Bakar. His chest tightened. There was a different spell placed on Yugi, a magical charm that could cost the innocent teen his life.

Yami sighed.

He told himself he wouldn’t drown in the past any longer, even if it meant losing happiness.

* * *

Yugi awoke with a startle. He panted with sweat dripping down his face as he sat up. Immediately clamping his eyes tightly as he gripped his shirt, he grunted in pain. Suddenly, his body turned cold. He disliked the feeling. The uncomfortable ache vanished in an instant, and he settled down. He took his sleeve and wiped off his sweat that had formed.

“What a horrible nightmare,” he mumbled to himself. He placed one hand on his head. He looked around and noticed he was in his room. He sighed with relief, “Good, I’m still here instead of being chained in some dungeon.”

After his recovery, Yugi stepped out of bed for his usual routine. There was no school today, and he had no other plans, so he worked his grandfather’s shop. Because it was the weekend, a few more people came around. The costumers came in like waves. The morning was slow but the afternoon was packed.

Tea stopped by to see how everything was going. After some chat, she left to continue on with her errands. Yugi grew surprised when he saw Joey and Tristan enter the shop. The teen with blonde hair explained he wanted to buy a game for his younger sister. Yugi happily assisted. The two boys looked around and chose what they thought was good.

When the purchase was made, Joey commented out loud, “Hey maybe we should stop by again.”

“You guys are always welcome here.” Yugi replied, a tad shy.

As evening came around, the crowd died down once more. A smile grew over the teen’s face when he saw a boy with black hair enter.

“Hey, Mokuba.” Yugi greeted happily. “What’s up?”

“I just came to look at some more games.” Mokuab explained.

“Sure, there are still some we haven’t played yet.”

“Then let’s get playing!”

Yugi took out a game board that required at least two people to play. The object of the game was to roll the dice and pass by any monsters and traps while on the way to the winner’s circle. As the play field was being set up, the teen paused. He felt strange. He felt he was experiencing déjà vu. He didn’t know why. He always had been by himself, and he only enjoyed these games with his childhood friend and grandfather.

He placed one hand on his heart.

“Yugi?” a voice called out.

“Huh? What?” the distant adolescent responded when he snapped back in.

“Are you ok?” Mokuba asked.

“Oh, yeah, peachy.” Yugi replied as he tried to smile.

The two new friends began their little game.

* * *

Yami walked down the spiral stair case towards the bottom of the prison he was kept. He carried with him his sword and spell book. There wasn’t much more he could do other than train his powers. Reaching the end, he heard someone was already down there.

“That’s odd,” he mumbled. “Kaiba and Mai don’t like it down here, and they are only around when they have to. Who else could it be?”

Yami glanced around and saw Bakar taking part in some sort of ritual. The adolescent formed an uneasy feeling. Rather than say he was here, he remained quiet. He vaguely spotted an evil smirk on the man. He decided to listen carefully.

“Yes!” Bakar bellowed with joy.

Cautiously hiding himself, Yami kept an eye on the mysterious man. Bakar grew a magic spell book into a giant screen in front of a large circle with four triangles inside. The text was blurry but reeked of something malicious. Yami took a few steps down the stairs while continuing to mask himself.

“This is the spell I have been looking for!” Bakar boasted. “The magical charm to keep me alive forever!”

Yami gasped. He had sensed this was not good. He listened closely.

“Everything is almost in place.” Bakar gloated with greed. “All I really need now is that innocent soul I found.”

“Innocent soul!” Yami gasped quietly. He knew the man had turned a glance towards his direction. He concealed himself and remained silent as best he could. His heart pumped with a harsh pressure.

Bakar ignored this and mumbled, “It’s such a shame this can only be used with the aid of others. I wouldn’t need any of these people if I was capable of doing this myself. However, it was nice I was drawn to Yami. Not only did he release the power of the Dark Stone, which has a magical liquid inside, but he also led me to the innocent one.”

Yami’s sharp orbs widen. He couldn’t believe what he heard. He was brought here to train, not fulfill an evil purpose. He didn’t have time to think. He heard someone coming his way. Shutting his eyes tightly, he gripped his sword and book with fear. He wished he was back in his room.

After the thought was made, the footsteps came to an end. Yami opened his pupils, and he saw he had returned to his room safely.

He dropped to his knees with his weapon and book falling. He was exhausted. He was also confused about what took place.

“This is truly odd.” Yami mumbled tiredly. “One moment I was down in the chamber, and the next I’m in my room. What just happened?”

He stood up slowly and sat himself on his bed after nearly losing his balance. He placed one hand on his head. He couldn’t believe what he heard: His boss was planning something horrific! He recalled the words the man had uttered. He was the one who helped lead him to finding someone who could be used as a sacrifice.

He thought about the people he knew. He thought about his friends. His chest tightened once more. He wanted to see them. Even though he had the ability to watch over them from a screen, it was not the same. He instead chose to lock himself away. He closed his eyes and thought about everyone.

The one who stuck out the most was Yugi, the teen with a kind heart.

The one who was worried about his friends even while he was in danger.

The one who tried to find the good in everyone.

Yami flashed his eyes opened. He gasped at his realization.

“Bakar is after Yugi!”

Yami needed help. He must stop Bakar before anything could take place. He already knew one of his teammates had a strong disliking of the villain already. Once he found the energy, Yami took off. He left his room and ran down the corridor. With ease, he found Kaiba’s room. The tall, young adult was busy once more with his chess pieces.

“Kaiba!” Yami shouted.

“What,” Kaiba asked annoyed.

“You must help!” Yami begged.

“With what?” the other adolescent questioned with little interest.

“It’s Bakar!”

“What about him?”

“He’s evil! He’s planning something devastating! He must be stopped!”

“And why should I get involved?”

“Because he’s about to harm some innocent people!”

“You have powers, you can control the Dark Stone, this is your problem!”

“I can’t do this alone!”

“If you die, oh well. Someone else can always use the Dark Stone.”

“All you do is play the same game over and over! Wouldn’t you rather take action!”

“For what? Losing my life? Neither one of us are strong enough to face him. You‘re better off quitting.”

The two grew furious; neither was willing to back down. Yami wouldn’t give up though. He didn’t want anyone harmed if something could be prevented. He didn’t want Yugi to be hurt.

“And then what!” Yami bellowed with rage forming. “You already have an aversion towards him! Are you about to allow Bakar to do something worse to your brother!”

Kaiba became overwhelmed when his sibling was brought into the argument. He tackled the smaller one to the ground. Yami’s stomach pressed against the cold floor with Kaiba leaning an elbow into his back. The taller one took hold of the smaller one’s hands.

“Listen you,” Kaiba whispered in a hash tone, “just because something happens to you and your so called friends doesn’t mean anything will happen to my brother. I don’t give a damn about those you know.”

“Then why did you help me the first place?” Yami questioned, referring to the amnesia spell.

Kaiba loosened his hold for a moment but in a flash regained his strength, causing Yami to cry out a little. While erupting with anger, Kaiba informed firmly, “I only tried to ease you of that. If you plan to repay me with the loss of my brother, you better consider a different option. I will _not_ have Mokuba harmed because of your stupid crap.”

Believing he made his point clear, he set his opponent free.

Yami lied in his positioned for a while.

Kaiba walked out of the room.

The teen with gold bangs observed the atmosphere. Flames shot up, but when the brother of Kaiba was mentioned, the teen with brown hair appeared different. Yami struggled to stand up. The physical battle he fought drained some of his energy.

“ _Perhaps Bakar isn’t my only adversary in this_.” Yami pondered. He recalled how strong the adolescent with icy eyes was. He easily took down Joey, a born street fighter. However, he wasn’t about to allow either one of his teammates suffer any longer. He had empathy with both Kaiba and Mai.

He was once alone like the blonde woman. He allowed himself to grow cold and hate the world. If he had discovered his powers back then, he may have done some serious damage to people. Despite experiencing strong desire for revenge, he decided he would follow a different path after he met Yugi. Yami was curious if Kaiba had a different personality when around his sibling.

He walked down the hallway and saw Mai. He knew the woman had overheard the argument and fighting. He could only pray Bakar didn’t know a thing just yet. He glanced over at the one with blonde hair.

“Where’s Bakar?” Yami asked.

Mai crossed her arms as she replied, “He said he would be out getting some supplies.”

Yami clinched his fists. He believed the man went out to gather material to complete the spell for eternal life. With every item found by that vile villain, Yami would have less time for his rescue mission.

“Just give up your idea.” Mai discouraged after an uneasy silence.

“And why should I,” Yami questioned. He had a good intention in his heart to not only rescue Yugi but Mai and Kaiba as well.

“Think about it.” she began. “If you weren’t here, then what would be of your powers?”

“Who needs them,” Yami argued while trying to remain calm.

“Even if you don’t want them, you’re still stuck with them.” she brought up. “If you weren’t here with the proper training, what would have become of you and of them?”

“I may have never thought about using them.”

“Oh, really? Just look at your rage.”

Yami fell silent. His animosity had the better of him in past situations. He had wanted to implement revenge on people who have wronged him and the ones he cared about. Even by accident, he nearly allowed his anger to harm Mai when they first met. Yami grunted. He recalled he did have an issue, but he always tried to find a better solution after meeting Yugi. He remembered Bakar used the same formula to get him to stay and train.

“I won’t give up.” he mumbled as he walked away.

He was here for training for controlling his gift and curse. He did so at the cost of losing everyone important to him. He was aware Mai and Kaiba fell into the same trap. He had a burning desire to stop the insane villain after leaning what may happen to Yugi. Even though both Bakar and Yugi were connected, Yami was confident the man had some other tricks up his sleeve.

He had to do something.

He didn’t know what.

**To be continued…**


	12. Plan in Motion

**Chapter 12: Plan in Motion**

Yami heavily paced back and forth in his prison that was his room. He couldn’t stand the thought of being there any longer. He refused to partake in any more actions with the vile man named Bakar.

He wanted to be outside in the open.

He desired to be with his friends who cared about him.

He longed to be with Yugi.

His heart ached. His friend had an innocent view on life. The young boy only wanted to have friends, and despite being alone he never allowed himself to be consumed with darkness and hatred. Yami fully believed his evil boss will target Yugi for the twisted, selfish magical spell.

“I can’t take this anymore!” Yami finally shouted. “I need to think of a plan… but I can’t do this alone. If I am to defeat Bakar, I will need help. I do not wish to place anyone in danger, but this may be my only option.”

The teen glanced down at his weapon. Bakar had mentioned it having some sort of mystic liquid. Yami despised the sword. Furiously, he tossed the Dark Stone that reverted back to a black rock and landed on his mattress. He did not need it for his mission. He was sick of the magic that emitted from it.

He recalled one of the spells he had been practicing. He used it to escape from the chamber at the bottom, and he had made a clean getaway. He knew his new idea would be risky, but it may be his only chance. He had been given so much time before Bakar would go after Yugi.

Yami glanced at the book he kept at his clean desk. Opening it, he flipped through it several times with a great fire in him. His eyes skimmed the pages with great attention; he desperately tried to locate the spell he had placed on his friends. He could only hope even after the memories were revived everyone would go along and defeat Bakar once and for all.

Yami’s heart beat with joy when he finally found what he had been searching for.

He placed himself with his arms across from each other against his chest. He had his legs apart with his eyes closed. He chanted a spell and disappeared.

* * *

Yami took a deep breath of the cool, night air. He was glad to be out of the cage he was trapped in. He opened his eyes and happily glanced up at the almost full moon. He wished he could spend time and appreciate the outside world, but he knew he must act quickly; it would only be a matter of time before Bakar found out he was missing. He looked around and grew shock seeing he was in front of the Turtle Game store.

“What am I doing here!” Yami gasped as he backed away. “Is this… where my heart is telling me I should be?”

He wanted to burst through the door and tell his friend he was back. He wanted to rescue his companion from the madman. He wanted to be back in the home where he was cared for and felt like he belonged. But he knew he couldn’t.

Hesitantly, he sprinted off in the opposite direction. He couldn’t risk having Bakar hurt Yugi. He did not wish for the one he cared about most to be in anymore danger. He decided it would be best if he began his project elsewhere.

A window from the Turtle Game store opened. A young teen with tri-color hair glanced around. He didn’t understand why, but something told him someone was out there. Since he did not see a single soul, he went back inside and closed the window.

* * *

“Tea! There’s someone here for you,” called out a young adult’s mother.

“Ok!” Tea answered back.

The teen sat at her desk finishing some homework. Earlier she had an empty feeling within return once more. She shook her head and told herself to continue with her work.

Looking at her clock in the shape of a cat, she wondered who needed her around seven at night. She stood up and walked towards the front door. As she did, she thought to herself, “ _Heh, it’s probably just Yugi needing some help with science again_.”

The female adolescent stepped towards the front of the house and opened the door. There stood a stranger who appeared to have tri-color hair. However, the figure seemed to be a bit taller for him to be Yugi. He was too busy looking out into the distant to notice the door had been opened.

“Um… Hello?” Tea greeted confused.

“It’s good to hear your voice again,” said the mysterious stranger who snapped back into reality. He turned around to reveal himself having narrow purple eyes and a heroic smile, “Tea.”

The girl was caught off guard; she was captured by the person standing in front of her. Memories from her past overflowed her mind and heart. She became faint as her eyes became a hollow blue. She nearly lost her balance.

“Tea!” called the stranger as he grasped the young adult. He carefully placed her on the steps and waited for her to wake up.

When she did, she had shiny blue eyes that made contact with the set of purple orbs. She smiled a bit and welcomed warmly, “Hello, Yami.”

The older boy smiled gleefully, delighted knowing the spell cast over had broken. He knew things were about to become complicated. He prayed everyone would stay by his side. He also knew the girl would have a lot of questions, so he began to explain everything that took place.

“So, there’s this Bakar person who made you his apprentice and now you want to break free?” Tea asked wanting clarification.

Yami nodded.

“And you placed a spell on me, Yugi, and everyone else so we wouldn’t suffer while you weren’t here?” Tea questioned once more.

“Yes, I apologize for committing such a repulsive act.” Yami replied quietly with melancholy in his eyes. “But I did not wish to cause anyone harm.”

“But that’s what friends are for,” the girl reminded with a small laugh. “We are supposed to get hurt in order to be there for each other.”

Yami remained quiet. He allowed the words to sink into his mind and also his heart. He wanted to set everyone free, not just himself.

“What about Yugi?” Tea asked.

Yami immediately flashed his attention towards the other adolescent.

“Haven’t you seen him yet?”

“No, I haven’t.” Yami explained as he turned away with disgrace. “There’s… another spell on him… cast by Bakar. I couldn’t risk losing him.”

“So then you went to see me first?” Tea inquired.

Yami nodded.

The girl looked at the ground. She was pleased knowing the older boy could go and talk with her whenever a problem came around. She remembered how harshly the boy treated himself for what happened to their mutual friend. She looked up at the sky. The moon shone nicely out. She had a feeling beyond the peaceful night lied a day filled with agony and adventure.

Standing up with excitement, she exclaimed, “So what’s the plan!”

“What?” Yami asked confused.

“You said you didn’t want to hurt any of us,” Tea began. “But you should know all of us are willing to jump through hoops of fire to be with you and Yugi! You said you wanted to be free of Bakar! I’m letting you know we’re all here to help!”

Yami smiled. He was filled with gratitude knowing a friend was there for him. He stood up and explained, “I’ll tell you tomorrow. I need to leave as I don’t know if Bakar knows I’m missing.”

“Ok.” Tea replied softly.

The male teen stepped off of Tea’s porch and walked a few steps away. He slowly vanished. He turned around, smiled, and gave a thumbs up.

Once she was alone, Tea continued to stand outside. She looked up at the sky once more with eyes that seemed livelier than before. She finally saw the stars shinning above. She smiled once more. She turned around and sighed happily.

She was glad she was part of something bigger than herself.

* * *

Yami returned to his room feeling a bit faint but not as big as before. He felt the presence of someone else. Quickly, he turned and saw Kaiba standing in the doorway.

“Where were you?” the tall teen asked coldly.

The one with gold bangs figured Kaiba would do all he could to keep his sibling safe. Yami would do all he could to help the brothers, but he decided to wait on the plan for them. He glanced down and saw the Dark Stone remained in its position. He reached over for it and held it away at it arm’s length towards Kaiba.

“Out.” Yami replied smoothly. “Practicing magic.”

The other boy thought nothing of it. He left the room and headed towards his own.

Yami took a seat on his mattress. He became cheerful no one was aware about him missing. He grew ecstatic at least one person was now broken from the spell.

Looking out his window, he saw the moon. He had once disliked it in his past. He noticed how the vast, silver object in the sky was starting to grow bigger. He smiled. He, too, felt himself growing larger once more thanks to light he was receiving from everyone.

The next morning, Yami used his time perfecting his magic. He was able to appear and disappear at a faster rate without using so much stamina. His skills in using his sword also improved, despite him secretly disapproving of it. Even though he acted like his usual self, he was also filled with anxiety. He waited like a mouse in search of cat for Bakar to leave, so he could continue on with his plan.

When the time was right, Yami briskly went from the chamber towards his room. He stopped for a moment when he needed to first past by Kaiba’s room. Quietly, he saw the teen asleep in his bed. Yami soundlessly walked past him. He believed Kaiba was assigned to watch over him as he assumed Bakar would use whoever meant most to Kaiba against him. Yami was careful to not act too suspiciously, but he was grateful for the adolescent with brown hair’s assistant in his early time of need and mourning.

“ _Don’t worry Kaiba… Soon, all of us will be free of this madman_.”

Yami positioned himself correctly and cast the spell to transport him. He allowed the familiar sensation to enter his body. He slowly vanished from his cage and into the outside world.

He opened his eyes and examined his surroundings. He could see he was not too far from Domino High School.

* * *

A few hours before…

Yugi awoke a little woozy in his bed. He tiredly stepped out and changed into his uniform. As he left his room and went downstairs, he nearly lost his balance. At once, he grabbed the hand rail to prevent himself from falling. He sighed with relief seeing he was safe.

Although he didn’t hold much strength, he managed to eat a small breakfast. While chewing on his morning food, he couldn’t help but feel a tad lonely. There was no one in the kitchen or in the entire house, other than himself. He sighed as he stood up and washed his plate. He was about to head out the door when he felt an abrupt, sharp sting in his chest.

He paused for a moment and cringed in pain as he placed his hands over his heart. He felt another cold wave enter his form. As a result from clashing feelings, he fell to his knees. He tried the best to block out the unwanted, bitter sensation. The throbbing gradually left.

When he collected enough stamina, Yugi stood up and went straight to school.

After he arrived, he took a seat at his desk. He glanced out the window in a daze. He spotted a butterfly dancing around.

“Good morning, Yugi.” Tea greeted happily.

The small adolescent turned and noticed his friend appeared chipper than usual. He greeted back sleepily, “Good morning, Tea.”

The girl’s smile faded a bit. She remembered Yugi had not had his memories returned to him yet. The boy also appeared unwell. She asked sincerely, “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, just a little tired.” Yugi answered honestly.

Tea took her seat when the bell rang. Students entered in to place themselves in their assigned spots. Two other peers came in and made a racket. Tea glanced up to see one adolescent with blonde hair and the other with brown. She was about to speak to them when she glanced back at Yugi. She remembered for now neither of them were friends with each other. She looked down and hoped everything would be over soon, and their lives could return back to normal.

When class was over, Yugi and Tea walked down the hall. The boy suddenly stopped, feeling a little discomfort enter his chest once more. Making both hands into fists, he placed them on his heart. As soon as the pain entered, so did the uneasy cold sentiment. Even though the bleak feeling made the pain stop, Yugi did not like it. He felt something else was within him. He squeezed his eyes tightly as he waited for the ache to stop as he tried to push out the freezing sensation.

“Yugi!” Tea called out alarmed.

“I’m fine.” Yugi replied groggy when everything came to an end.

The two continued their way towards their next class. They separated and went to their individual rooms, which were adjacent to one another. Yugi took a seat next to a blonde student. Neither of them made any type of interaction between each other. As the lecture proceeded, the small teen experienced difficulty concentrating. Every few minutes he would slightly cough, his chest gave him problems, and he developed a light headache.

“Mr. Muto, are you all right?” asked the instructor. When the student made no reply, the teacher asked, “Would you like to go to the nurse?”

The shaggy hair student glanced over towards Yugi. A part of him was not enjoying seeing a member of his class suffer. He felt compelled to do something. Boldly standing up, he insisted, “I’ll take him to the nurse.”

“Well, if that’s fine with Mr. Muto then I will allow it, Mr. Wheeler.” the instructor said, a tad surprised.

Yugi nodded. Even though he did not want to be burden to someone, he did not want to fall down on his way over to the infirmary.

The two left the classroom and walked down the hall. With each step, the small boy felt his own body becoming heavier and heavier. On the way over, the two met with another male student with brunette hair, who came out of the boy‘s restroom.

“Where’re you off to?” he asked out of curiosity.

“To the moon.” Joey answered sarcastically. “Yugi ain’t feeling well, where else would I take him Tristan!”

“So _rry_ I showed a little concern!” Tristan spat back.

A small smile crept over Yugi’s face. A feeling within him told him this felt right. The sentiment did not last long, for he soon lost his balance once more.

“Yugi!” both adolescents replied as they caught the unwell student.

“I’m fine.” the small teen answered after regaining some strength.

“We’re almost there.” Joey tried to encourage.

The blonde took the student to the nurse’s room. The bell rang, and Tristan waited outside for his friend to come back out. He glanced up and noticed a female adolescent coming his way. She accidentally made eye contact with him but quickly turned away.

“Hey, Gardner.” Tristan called.

Tea turned back and was curious to know what a soon to be reunited friend needed to say.

Tristan continued and informed, “Your little boyfriend is in the nurse’s office.”

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Tea hurriedly corrected as her face became red. She calmed herself down as she was grateful someone told her where her companion was. She walked into the room and said quietly, “Thank you.”

As Tea entered, she saw Joey speaking to the nurse. She looked away and waited patiently for her other friend to arrive to fix all this mess.

Joey took a look at the girl but continued on with his way.

Tea spoke to the woman, and the nurse had informed her that Yugi had a bit of a fever.

The girl had wanted to insist she be there for her buddy, but something told her she needed to be someplace else. She left the infirmary to allow her friend to rest. She cautiously walked behind the two boys she spoke with earlier. Coincidentally, they all had the next lesson together.

She hoped Yugi would be fine so he could be reunited with Yami.

* * *

Yami quickly sprinted down the path while dodging other people. He knew he only had so much time before Kaiba would wake up and notice him missing. He already took a big risk the day before, and he did not need any more attention drawn until the time of battle.

He paused in front of the school. To secure he was not spotted by any other students or teachers, he took cover in some bushes. He had to stay hidden his plan was perfect, so he could work. He sprinted onto the school grounds. Plenty of students were out, so Yami assumed it was their break.

“ _Guess I came at a good time_.” he smirked. He hid between a building and a few bushes. He glanced around, and he soon spotted who he was looking for. On a bench with a pink top and blue skirt with short, brown hair and caring blue eyes sat Tea. Yami took a rock and carefully tossed it in the girl’s direction.

Tea turned surprised seeing the object. She stood up and glanced around. Her heart beat with worry but also excitement. She eyed a hidden figure beckoning for her. She briskly went over to see who she thought she saw.

“Hello again, Tea.” Yami greeted.

“Hey, Yami.” Tea greeted back.

“Where’s Yugi?” Yami asked with great curiosity as he looked around. He knew the boy was always around the girl. He became surprise to not see him anywhere near.

Tea’s smile faded as she explained, “He’s in the nurse’s office with a fever.”

“Oh no,” the teen quietly gasped as he stared at the ground.

“Come on, what’s the plan?” Tea asked, trying to keep her friend’s spirit up. “You said if you want to save Yugi you would need a plan, so what is it?”

Yami nodded. He knew he must stand strong to save everyone. He asked, “Have you seen Joey and Tristan?”

The girl shook her head. The time she had spotted them was earlier in the morning, but it was now past noon. She giggled, “I almost greeted them this morning when I remembered there is a spell cast on them and, in a sense, we‘re not friends.”

“I apologize for that.”

“There’s no need. Guess we’ll need everyone’s help then, right?”

Yami nodded once more. As he tried to figure out a way to reach them, the two of them heard loud, familiar voices.

“Can you believe what happened in class today?” once voice whined. “I can’t believe I lost to a girl in a simple match of checkers!”

“You sure do suck at that game.” the other one replied. “But it was just a simple class experiment.”

“To prove what? Boys suck more at games than girls?”

“No, just that _you_ suck at everything.”

“Hey! You lost too!”

Yami and Tea’s eyes met. They knew the people who were approaching their direction.

“We need to find a way to bring them over here.” Yami instructed.

“Let me handle this.” Tea winked as she had a plan of her own in mind. She jumped into the open. With her hands around her mouth, she yelled, “HEY WHEELER! TAYLOR!”

Yami became stunned about the girl’s action. He had never seen her act like this before nor did he ever expect to.

“Hey, it’s that Gardner chick.” Joey spat annoyed.

“What does she want now?” Tristan wondered.

“YEAH I’M TALKING TO YOU!” Tea continued bravely. “YOU’RE JUST MAD BECAUSE I BEAT YOU IN A GAME OF CHECKERS EARLIER!”

“What!” the two boys shouted as they felt their masculinity damage.

The female adolescent dashed behind the building where she came from.

“I’ll show her!” Joey yelled with his anger raising.

“Dude! That’s Tea Gardner!” Tristan reminded, a tad scared of the bold female.

“So what!” Joey argued, not caring, “Girl’s gotta know her place! It ain‘t cool to brag about victory like that!”

“Then why do you do it all the time?” Tristan mumbled.

The angry blonde raced to where the teen disappeared with his friend following him. They stopped, seeing Tea standing and talking with a stranger who had his back turned towards them. She looked over to see the two needed team members.

“Who’s this!” Joey growled as noticed the person was not in a school uniform. “Your boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Tea yelled with her face becoming red once more.

“Right, just someone you’re secretly tutoring.” Tristan remarked casually.

“It’s good to see your sense of humor again,” smirked the mysterious stranger as everything seemed to be falling into his favor. He then turned around to show his face, “Joey, Tristan.”

“Y-Yami!” the two shouted at the same time.

Like Tea, their eyes became hollow as memories flew into their mind. They both fell backwards and landed on the ground. Tea and Yami raced towards their fallen companions to be sure they were fine. They both were unharmed as they lied on the ground with swirly eyes.

“Uh… you guys ok?” Tea asked.

“You bet we are!” Joey and Tristan declared as they stood up.

The four them laughed.

Yami was overjoyed to have almost everyone back. His smile diminished as he retold the story everyone was in.

“Damn this Bakar guy!” Tristan swore as he angrily punched one first into his opposite hand.

“So that means Yug is still underneath his control?” Joey asked.

Yami nodded.

“Then we gotta do something!” Joey persisted. “You gotta revive Yug’s memory!”

“I’m not sure if I can.” Yami mumbled passively.

“Why not?” Tristan asked.

“Something worse may happen to him,” the boy with the tri-color hair explained.

“But we need him!” Joey tried to convince. “He’s an important member of our group!”

“He’s right.” Tea agreed. “I know it may be hard, but I think it would be best.”

Yami remained quiet. He had a strong desire to see his small friend with the cheerful smile and innocent eyes once more. But there was still fear and doubt in his mind.

“I think we should all go see him.” Tea suggested to everyone. “He wasn’t feeling too well, and I think some of it is because he doesn’t have the courage and strength from all of us to lighten up his spirit.”

Yami tried to have everything that was stated sink in. He was in a mess between his mind and heart once again. His brain reminded him of all the trouble he had caused for the one named Yugi. His heart reflected the times he was rescued by the small teen and vice versa.

Yami knew his female companion was correct. Yugi’s kind spirit existed because of his friends, which included Yami, who knew what he had to do.

He finally asked, “You said he’s in the infirmary?”

* * *

A nurse sat at her desk typing away at her computer when she saw four teenagers enter her office. She noticed one of them appeared to look similar to a student who was currently in the other room.

“Are you here to pick up Mr. Muto?” she asked as she lifted her thick glasses.

“Yes.” Yami confirmed. “I’m his brother.”

“He’s in the next room,” the lady informed as she stood up.

Yami and Yugi were accustomed to being accused of being related. The two eventually shrug off the uneasy sentiment and accepted the idea. The act was easier when Yami was adopted and made an official member of the Muto family, a day he always kept in his heart.

The nurse led the other group into an area with two beds and a set of light green curtains to offer privacy. The other mattress was vacant, but the one furthest from the group was hidden. The lady removed the curtain, and as she did she informed the ill student, “Mr. Muto, your brother is here to pick you up.”

Yami’s heart sank seeing a small boy with tri-color hair asleep in an uncomfortable rest. He appeared unwell and was breathing heavily in uneven patterns. Yami quietly stepped over to wake his friend up.

“Yugi,” he called out as gently as he could. “Wake up. It’s me, Yami.”

The ill student slowly came around. He grew confused who was calling him. He did not recognize the voice, yet the sound was very warm and soothing. He tried to sit up but was too weak. He nearly lost his balance, but the older boy quickly caught hold and took a seat on the mattress. The small boy moaned a little.

“Yugi, it’s me, Yami.” the adolescent tried his best to reach his friend.

“Ya… mi?” Yugi questioned. His mind was very hazy as he attempted to piece together the voice. The name he heard was unusual, yet something was telling him to trust the person who was holding him. His heart grew warm as he repeated tiredly, “Ya… mi…”

“Please, open your eyes,” the older boy begged.

Everyone stood by anxiously for the last of the member of their group to wake up, so they could became whole again.

The younger tried to obey, but his eyes were too watery. He didn’t feel well, and he grew even wearier. His chest was also causing him a few problems with faint burns. He moaned again as he was losing contact with reality while slipping into darkness. However, he did his best to remain with the person who was caring for him. Bit by bit, he struggled to unlock his very heavy pupils.

At that moment, a strong gust of wind took place. An arrogant voice called out, “I’m very disappointed in you, Yami!”

“What’s going on!” the school nurse demanded to know as she reentered the room. She was knocked off her feet and landed in the other room where she became unconscious.

“Stand your ground!” Yami ordered.

Everyone dropped to their knees and tried to keep themselves from being blown away.

Yami kicked down the mattress and used it as a shield to block away the powerful force.

Joey did the same as Tristan reached for Tea.

Yugi was unsure of what was occurring around him. He held onto the person for protection.

Yami tighten his hold on his friend. He knew he was found out and the inevitable battle was about to begin. While continuing on with his hold, he peeked to see if anyone else was with his enemy.

A figure appeared, and soon everyone saw a man with a brown robe and green bangs. He wore an overly confident smirk.

“Bakar!” Yami bellowed with anger.

“Hey! It’s the asshole who started all this!” Joey added with rage. Anger erupted inside of him as well as recalling all the terrible situations the man had put himself and his friends in.

“Tsk, tsk. Didn’t I say no harm would come to Yugi if you joined me?” Bakar stated. “I believe I managed to fulfill my part quite well.”

Although Yugi was unaware of the people around him, he shivered at the sound of Bakar’s voice: The sound was similar to the unwanted sensation in his chest -- cold and agonizing.

“This ends now!” Yami shouted. “There’s nothing more you can do!”

“Oh, is there?” Bakar questioned with an evil grin. He snapped his fingers, and Yugi screamed in pain. He gripped his shirt over his heart as struggled with the unbearable throbbing in his chest.

Yami tried not to flinch. He couldn’t risk having Baka treat his friend like a toy. He had difficulty, for with every beat of Yug’s heart agony afflicted Yami as well.

“Yugi!” everyone called out. They tried to race over, and as they did Bakar snapped his fingers once more. A glow grew over the younger teen. Yami did his best to keep his grip on his friend. However, the magic that engulfed the smaller boy was too much. He was soon ripped apart from his caring companion.

“No! Yugi!” Yami cried as he was separated from his pal once more. He wasn’t sure what else Bakar planned to do. He knew he had to at least have his spell over Yugi broken. He tried once more as he begged with all his heart, “Yugi! Open your eyes!”

The teen was consumed with fear. He didn’t know what was going on. He believed deep within though he should at least trust the one who was trying to help. He tried once more to unlock his heavy pupils when Bakar interfered.

“Oh no you don’t,” he ordered furiously as he snapped his fingers once more.

Yugi cried out in pain as another familiar burnt his chest. When the pain passed, he attempted to open his eyes. When he finally did, his vision was completely black.

“Yugi!” everyone called out.

“I… I can’t see… anything!” Yugi announced terrified.

Bakar chuckled, for he knew he was in favor of victory. He snapped his fingers once more and revealed how he was controlling his puppet. Yugi’s shirt ripped down the center like tissue paper and flung wide open. Everyone gasped seeing the small teen branded with a pink purple symbol of triangles on his chest. Yami’s eyes widen when he finally realized how Bakar was doing all this.

“I guess you now choose to fight me rather than protect Yugi.” Bakar stated a tad bitterly.

Yami stared down at the man he hated.

Another gust of powerful wind formed. Bakar and Yugi started to vanish.

“No! Yugi!” Yami cried in angst.

“Yugi!” everyone called out once more.

“You cannot run away!” Bakar informed as he faded. “If you wish to save Yugi, than you must come get him. That is, if he’s still alive.”

The evil man laughed maniacally as he and his puppet completely disappeared.

When the wind died down, Yami fell to his knees.

Everyone rushed over. They wanted to know what they could do to help, so they could rescue their captured companion.

Yami was too busy absorbing what took place.

He couldn’t believe it.

Yugi was taken from him once more.

He lost faith in himself and knew he was no match for his enemy. The man was too powerful. He could easily destroy Yugi in an instant if he wanted.

Yami’s eyes became hollow as darkness consumed his broken spirit once more.

 **To be continued** …


	13. Finding Hope

**Chapter 13: Finding Hope**

“Damn it!”

Yami clasped his eyes tightly as he banged one fist into the ground. A brief moment of hope was found but was quickly blown out like a candle in a harsh wind.

He drowned in disbelief about how blind he was. He had seen that little symbol nearly everywhere in his prison. He spent his hours training on top of it. He knew Bakar had placed a different spell on Yugi, but he hadn’t realized how painful the younger one had endured it all this time.

He recalled how fearful Yugi was when they first met the horrible man. He now understood why his friend had been acting conflicting towards his natural personality right before he invoked the painful decision to leave.

He banged his fist against the floor once more as he repeated furiously, “Damn it!”

Tea knelt down and gently placed her caring hands on her friend’s shoulder. She couldn’t bear seeing him so miserable. She also couldn’t stand seeing her other friends gloomy. She glanced up towards the other teens. They both were frazzled by the event. But because there was still a chance, everyone around carried a strong desire to set Yugi free.

“Don’t worry; we’ll get him back.” Tea assured.

Yami sighed heavily; he believed he missed his opportunity already. He couldn’t unlock any other solution since his small companion was now with the vile villain.

“I don’t think I can.” he confessed quietly. “As I said before, Bakar had done something to Yugi… If I take any action, Yugi will pay for my mistakes.”

“And if you don’t save him, then what!” Joey brought up, no longer wanting to just sit back. “The good news is that you’re not going in this alone!”

“Yeah, man,” Tristan joined in, having a flame of ambition burn inside. “We can’t leave Yugi like this! Not after he’s done all for us! We‘re all gonna help!”

Yami looked up to see everyone still volunteering themselves. None of them wanted back down.

Tea smiled, “Yami, even though you erased his memories, Yugi’s actually been missing you.”

“What?” Yami asked.

“None of us were completely aware as to why we were all feeling so empty.” she continued. “But Yugi will always be searching for us. He always looked so distant, as though something was missing. We all missed you, but I think he did the most.”

Yami closed his eyes and thought. He longed to be with everyone once more. He made it this far. He had to go and rescue his friend. If not, the innocent soul would be sacrifice for a malevolent ambition. A bright light was required in order to search for the solution. The tri-color hair teen would require help from his friends, who did not give up. He also needed to assist everyone else who was caught up with the evil man. Yami unlocked his pupils and reviled his determination.

“Yes, let’s all go together.” he stated boldly.

The one with powers instructed the group to form a circle. He had them all join hands. The other two males had a problem with this, but were scolded by their female companion to swallow their pride and reminded them of their mission. At once they obeyed.

Yami closed his eyes to concentrate. The two males and one female did the same. The teen had never moved so many people at once, and he needed all the strength he could obtain. Just as his powers were slipping away, he gained more feeling the desire emitting from the other adolescents.

“ _Yugi, we’re coming_.”

* * *

Yugi felt himself being cold. He grunted a little as he tried to move. His body ached and felt heavy. He tried to remember how he ended up in his current state: He recalled a huge gust of wind took place. Someone was calling him as they were trying to save him. Most of the voices faded, but the one who called his name endlessly stood out the most. He couldn’t see the people around them since his vision disappeared, and yet he carried a strong desire to see who was protecting him.

Suddenly, Yugi felt a warm sensation enter him. The feeling was far different than what he had experience during the day and wanted to keep hold from his dark times alone. This had a better appealing to it and made him feel welcomed. He tried to hold on to it, but the sentiment diminished, leaving him tired. After some time of rest, he slowly unlocked his eyes.

Yugi awoke in a dim lit room constructed out of sandy bricks. He was sitting on the cold floor with his back against the chilly wall. As he was about to rub his eyes, he noticed his two arms were attached to a chain that connected to the wall. He had enough slack to stand up. He looked around and saw to his left giant, black, steel bars that blocked off a clearing from one of the walls. There were two torches outside that gave off little light. He tried to stand up, but his body scolded him. He was too weak and too dizzy to move around. He was also still chained.

“Why does this… feel familiar?” he questioned. He was experiencing déjà vu once more and did not understand why.

He placed his head back in defeat. He wondered why he was here at all. He was only a student in high school, and he didn’t have anything valuable. He had only wanted to get home so he could recover. His eyes were still a little watery, and his throat was dry. He placed one hand on his head and felt how uncomfortably warm his body was.

Just then, a small breeze brushed unpleasantly against his flesh on his upper body. He glanced down and observed his shirt had been torn open into two parts. He sighed seeing the stitches on his chest. He had an empty feeling inside of him once more.

He heard someone coming. He turned to see a woman with long, thick, blonde hair. She unlocked the gate and entered the room. In her hands, she held a plate with a sandwich. She had a set of stunning purple eyes. However, an emotion hid in the back of them. Yugi knew the feeling all too well. Even though he had no idea where he was, he wanted to make conversation.

“Hi.” he greeted in a bright tone after the plate was set down.

The woman was taken aback by this. She didn’t expect anyone to actually speak to her.

“My name is Yugi.” the petite adolescent began with a smile. “What’s yours?”

“And why should I give you my name?” she snapped as she stood up with her arms crossed.

“I’m just trying to be polite.” he replied honestly as he lowered his head a bit. “I… I don’t know where I am or why I’m here… Could you help me?”

“Psh, why would I help a stranger?” she argued bitterly.

“Well… it’s the right thing to do.”

“That’s what everyone says, but who would actually do such a thing?”

“I would.”

“It’s not like you’re going to get anything in return.”

“And that’s ok. Just as long as I can help someone in need.”

“Look, shorty, if you’re just trying to butter me up, it’s not going to work.”

“Huh?”

“I have no interest in you, and I have no interest in helping you. I’m only doing this because it’s my job.”

“Doesn’t sound like a nice job.”

“But this is where I belong.”

“Why is that? You seem as though you should be doing something else. Something that makes you happy.”

“Easy for you to say; you’re just in high school.”

“Yeah, but, everyone has their own problems. And it’s important to keep moving forward.”

“Not when you don’t have anything.”

“But there’s always hope.”

The woman glanced down at the adolescent. She had heard the same thing from another person, someone who appeared similar to the one in front of her. She clinched her fists tightly. Even though the one named Yugi was trapped, he looked as though he was waiting for someone.

“Can you honestly say that when you truly have nothing?” she asked an old questioned she had yet to receive an answer to.

Yugi grew stunned not only at the inquiry but the pitch as well. He had asked himself the same dozens of times. He had wanted to give up, but his heart always pushed him forward. He recalled back to a few moments ago. He almost admitted defeat but remembered someone had repeatedly called his name, as though they had longed to see the person they named. The same one was also protecting him against a mysterious gust of wind. He wanted to know who that person was.

He remained calm as he replied truthfully, “I want to at least try.”

The woman couldn’t help but smile a bit. A part of her heart felt warmer. She introduced herself sincerely, “My name is Mai Valentine.”

The boy tried to reply only to start coughing roughly. He longed for some water. Mai noticed how unwell the adolescent seemed. She knelt down and took out a small bottle with violet liquid. She removed the cork and titled the boy’s head up. As she held the bottle to his lips, she instructed softly, “Drink this.”

After looking into a pair of earnestly purple eyes, Yugi closed his pupils and did as he was told. The cool substance quenched the fire in his burning throat. His whole form felt lighter. His eyes lit up once more. He smiled with full gratitude, “Thank you.”

“Why did you take this?” the woman asked. She was astonished a prisoner was here and he took an order. He did not question the event at all.

“Because you told me to?” Yugi answered a tad confused.

“You know this could have easily been poison, right?” Mai brought up with an evil grin.

“Perhaps,” the teen agreed. “But… I trust you.”

The blonde gasped quietly. Most people didn’t have assurance in complete strangers. Everyone had been hoodwinked from time to time and did not wish to be victims. Mai allowed herself to grow cold, so she would not be duped by fairytales anymore. She wasn’t sure if her heart could take anymore disappointment.

She looked into Yugi’s orbs and saw something she had not seen in herself in years. She had the same feeling whenever she looked into a certain boy with narrow eyes as well. She knew she was looking into a strong sentiment called hope.

“I wish I could do more.” Mai confessed.

“Don’t worry,” Yugi tried to reassure as his faith rewarded him. “Maybe one day you will find hope in others… and in yourself… I know that I will keep looking.”

Just then, the two heard footsteps coming their way.

Startled, the woman made her way towards the exit. But she couldn’t leave this matter alone. She believed she had something more she could do. As she raced, she said, “I’ll be back later.”

With that, she vanished. Yugi wondered why Mai was in such a rush. When the sound came to an end, he turned to see a tall man with brown and green hair. At once he felt uneasy.

“Ah, I see you’re awake,” the man greeted casually.

“Who are you?” Yugi asked right away. “And why am I here?”

Bakar turned into an eerie quiet. He placed a spell on the adolescent, yet it was broken. He grew perplexed by this. He glanced over and observed the gate was not fully shut. He also spotted someone had brought the prisoner some food.

He crossed his arms as he dodged the question with his own, “Did you hear anyone else in this room?”

“I… I saw someone else here…” Yugi answered somewhat, not willing to betray Mai to the person who appeared malicious. “What does that matter?”

Bakar believed someone else was behind this. He decided to get down to business, “The matter is quite simple. You’re here because I am in need of your soul.”

“My… My soul?”

“Yes, I need a pure soul for my mission. Of course, before I can sacrifice you, I’ll need you as bait to lure Yami.”

“Ya… Yami?” the young adult questioned.

“Surprised by this?” Bakar chuckle as he assumed something else. “Even while I offered you both such generous contracts, he still chose to disobey. All he did was mope until he decided to turn against his boss. Now he‘ll be on his way to try and save you.”

Yugi changed his view back to the floor. He grew puzzled. He didn’t understand why anyone would be willing to save a nobody, a no one doomed to be killed. His chest tightened up with fear. Although he was in aversion to his own life, he didn’t want someone harmed because of him. He questioned who the person could be.

Despite the danger, he relaxed with the name repeating in his mind. The person the man had said rang in his mind and heart. It was the same name who called out and tried to get him to open his eyes. Even while feeling unwell, Yugi felt right when he was around the person named Yami.

“Ya… mi…” he whispered. A small smile grew over his face.

He clasped his eyes. His heart beat widely in his chest. Images flashed into his mind. He saw two classmates with gold and brunette hair. He also saw a girl with soft, caring blue pupils. He soon spotted another adolescent with tri-color hair, sharp purple eyes, and a heroic smile.

“Yami!” Yugi shouted joyfully as his eyes burst open.

He closed them once more and allowed tears to fall. He was overjoyed remembering his friends. He wasn’t alone. He had others who cared about him. He cared about the others.

An evil laugh roared. Yugi turned to face the man named Bakar. His innocent puppy eyes turned furious. He remembered the man in front of him placed a spell on him. He remembered this person was the reason he was separated from everyone. This was the same man who had torn Yugi from Yami.

“Well, he can fight me all he wants,” Bakar mocked openly, “but it won’t do him any good.”

“Yami will come!” Yugi defended passionately. “He and everyone else will defeat you.”

“Are you so sure about that?” the man asked.

He snapped his fingers and the cold, black bars vanished. He entered the room and knelt down in front of his victim.

Yugi glared at him. He tried to remain strong, but Bakar smiled deviously. He easily wiped away the teen’s tears conceived by joy.

As he moved, he added positively, “Because I always have a plan to ensure my victory.”

He placed his hand on Yugi’s chest.

He removed the left side of the shirt.

The adolescent glanced down.

Fear widened his eyes as a dark green glow formed.

**To be continued…**


	14. Fight for Freedom

**Chapter 14: Fight for Freedom**

A young boy with thick, black hair awoke in a mysterious room constructed out of sandy bricks. He grew startled hearing something creak. To his right were black steel bars. He also saw another room with similar bars completely wide open.

He was about to stand when he noticed he had bands around his wrists. Looking around, he perceived he was chained to one of the walls. He didn’t understand why he was here or how he arrived. He was only making his way towards the Turtle Game Shop when he suddenly lost consciousness.

“What’s going on?” he questioned.

* * *

Yami and the group arrived in his room. Even though everyone came safely, they all felt a tad tired. They glanced around and detected how unappealing the atmosphere was.

The teen with powers looked over at his mattress. The Dark Stone was still in place. Hesitantly, he reached over for it. He examined the rock carefully. He was full of curiosity, namely because he wondered why the magical gravel was not taken.

“Now what?” Joey questioned.

Yami glanced over towards the other adolescents. They were a bit nervous but were determined to rescue their small companion. He bustled passed them and looked carefully down the hallway. There was only silence. He felt suspicious; he believed Bakar had located Kaiba and Mai down to the bottom of the malicious architecture. He now knew where everyone was to travel to next.

Turning back to the group with fierce eyes, he warned in a hardheaded tone, “We are about to embark on a dangerous journey down to the bottom. Everyone will need to be prepared to face Bakar and his atrocious tricks.”

“Yeah, no kidding!” Joey heavily agreed, recalling the horrible bamboozles the insane man had done to the three boys before the overall event took place. He slammed one fist into his other hand as he was prepared this time around.

Tea and Tristan nodded. They may not have experience with the past affair, but they braced themselves and were willing to do all they could.

Yami felt more confident this time around since he now had more support with him.

The group driven to save Yugi dashed off. They raced down many long corridors filled with creepy chandeliers with candles that gave off dim lighting. They shifted from running to stepping down a spiral-like staircase made of sandy stone.

Yami felt his heart beating fast. He knew it was not only caused by the running, but he was also anxious about the fight he was about to have, as well as the fear of what Bakar may have done to his friend. He tried his best to find his own place, but he finally learned it was not here. He understood his heart belonged with Yugi and everyone else.

The adolescents stopped when they came to a wooden door. Yami knew what was behind it as everyone else took an educated guess. The leader took his step forward first as he stared down the entrance. Anger boiled. He clinched the rock tightly in his firm grip. He glanced at his hands and noticed his rage took form once more. However, rather than allow his emotion to get the best of him, he did all he could to control his power. He did not wish to harm the innocent anymore, especially those around him.

He raised his arm up and with one shot the door was burnt to a crisp. His close pals were impressed by the attack and use of magic. There wasn’t much that could be said as Yami took off towards the opening. He was done playing Bakar’s game and was impelled to win.

He dashed in and stood in the center of the room. The two males and one female were both fascinated and crept out by the interior. Far above was an ominous, vast chandelier with a heinous symbol on the ground. All were filled with rage when they placed together it was the same one burnt onto Yugi’s bear skin.

Yami stared directly at a large chair with many encrusted jewels. A man sat haughtily with his eyes shut. He did not at all appear afraid.

“Bakar!” Yami bellowed with great abhorrence.

The villain remained in his spot as he greeted breezily, “Ah, Yami, it’s about time you arrived.”

“Where‘s Yugi!?” the teen demanded right away.

“What makes you think he’s still around?” Bakar taunted.

“Where. Is. He.” the young adult with gold bangs repeated in an aversion tone.

“You know, Yami, there may be a chance for him to be fine. Just reinstate our original contract and all can be well.”

“I had enough! I refuse to continue to work for anyone as horrible as you!”

“Oh, is that so…”

Bakar grew impatient. He decided to end this as well. He figured only one path existed in order for him to gain his way. He snapped his fingers.

The group lowered their eyes towards the floor. They all gasped seeing a light shining through created by the symbol on the ground. A small figure came out from the floor. He was curled into a ball-like position with his back turned against everyone. He wore a sapphire uniform torn in various parts.

“Yugi!” everyone called out.

Immediately Yami sped over to his impaired friend. He knelt on the ground and examined his companion. He gingerly rolled the body towards him. He carefully picked up the petite adolescent and gazed at his childlike face with his closed eyes.

He was eased in his mind seeing the teen still had his soul and was breathing fine. He grew relieved no other scars or bruises laid anywhere. The sentiment did not last long, for his eyes became inflamed seeing a smaller version of the deadly symbol on the boy’s bear chest. He took his finger and gently traced around the curves. He felt how deep the scar was. He could tell the way Yugi received it was no joy at all. He stopped when he touched not only the spell but the stitches as well.

Yami swallowed hard as he called quietly, “Yugi, can you hear me?”

The young adult felt someone holding him with a warm and caring touch. The voice he heard was compassionate and familiar. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Through his blurry vision, he saw another set of violet irises. He questioned in a weary tone, “Ya… Yami?”

“Yugi!” Yami cried with joy as he pulled his friend closer to him. He was overjoyed the boy had his memories revived.

Yugi had accepted the embrace as well.

The other companions were glad to have their circle completed once more.

Yugi then flashed his eyes open. He remembered everyone would be in danger because of him. He did not want anyone of his friends to suffer because of him. He tried to push Yami away.

“Yugi, what’s wrong?” Yami questioned, confused about the unkind gesture he received.

“Ya… Yami, you… you need to get away!” Yugi replied as he struggled to move.

“Leave? No! I won’t! Not without you!”

“No! You have to!”

“I refuse!”

“You have to before—”

Yugi was cut off as a great, unbearable burn entered his chest. He quickly released his grip from his companion as he titled his head back and placed both fists on his chest. His voice ripped out from his throat as he cried out in complete agony.

Yami’s eyes enlarged seeing an eerie green glow appear on his friend’s upper body. He pulled the younger one closer to him for protection. He stared at the man he knew was causing this. He called out angrily, “Bakar! Cease this at once!”

Surprisingly, the villain did what was ordered.

Tiredly, Yugi placed his head against Yami’s chest. He panted heavily as he became exhausted. Nearly all his energy was stolen when the symbol on him blared.

Yami was sick of Yugi’s treatment. He wanted to do all he could to set Yugi free of him being a puppet.

“Yugi!” everyone called out once more as they rushed over.

Yami carefully handed the boy to both Tristan and Tea. Joey stood out in protection of the group like last time. Yami stood up and went to join his brave pal. The two glared at Bakar.

“Such a shame,” the man began. “I kept my side of the bargain; I kept that young one from feeling any ache in his heart all this time. Why must you have gone and broke your end?”

Yami remained silent as Joey spat, “You asshole! You may have stopped Yug’s pain, but you can’t stop him from missing all of us and being separated!”

“Besides,” Yami joined in, “how exactly could you keep your end when you planned to sacrifice his soul for your own gain?”

The item in the teen’s hand changed form as it went from the black rock to a special sword. The friends were impressed once more by how much Yami had learned while he was away.

Bakar’s arrogant attitude dwindled. He understood there wasn’t more he could do other than fight. He sighed, “I suppose I could always defeat you all and find some new people.”

Yami narrowed his eyes with disgust. He wanted to finish the battle so no one would continue to be underneath the man’s control.

“I don’t think so,” he disagreed greatly. “I shall end this once and for all!”

He charged towards his enemy relentlessly. He quickly stopped when he was shot by a blast of something blue. He landed on the ground but was helped back up by Joey. The two gasped, seeing a tall adolescent with brown hair.

“Kaiba!” Yami called.

Joey stared down at the teen. He figured he would need to take down the cold young adult and allow Yami to fight Bakar. The battle appeared one on one.

However, Yami sought out a different action. He yelled, “Kaiba! We don’t need to fight each other! With your help, we can take Bakar down and set your brother free!”

“Are you sure about that?” Bakar questioned. He snapped his fingers and by him stood another small boy. This one had long, thick black hair.

Kaiba’s eyes widened as he gasped, “Mokuba?”

The child opened his eyes. He looked around and saw he was in a completely different area. When his eyes reached someone genial, the spell over him broke in an instant. He tried to stand up, but he was kept from running as he was now chained to the wall. The imprisonment did not stop his heart from beating with joy. He did his best to call out with a smile, “Seto!”

Yugi slowly unlocked his own vision. He was concerned hearing a young, acquainted voice. He gazed tiredly towards Bakar and the new arrival. He gasped with shock, “Mokuba?”

“Are you quite positive you can go with them, Kaiba?” Bakar inquired. “After all, your brother is right here. You wouldn’t want something bad to happen to him, would you?”

Kaiba clamped his eyes and gritted his teeth. He couldn’t risk losing his brother. He faced the team of friends and was ready to fight for the person he cared for.

Joey stood in front of his teammate. “Sorry, Yami, looks as though we’re gonna hafta fight this round.”

“It appears so.” Yami agreed with resentment. “But be careful; Kaiba also has powers to strike.”

“I’ll worry about Kaiba while you take on Bakar.” Joey stated.

Yami nodded.

The blonde raced towards the teen with brown hair. The two fought once more. Several tough punches and kicks were made. The one with shaggy hair grew surprised how well Kaiba fought.

The one with blue eyes quickly glanced over towards his brother. He understood he could not afford to lose this fight. He may not have wanted to, but he was preparing himself to use magic.

Tristan saw this. He gazed over at Tea quickly, who nodded as she understood. He raced over to assist his friend as the girl continued to hold their friend.

Yami was primed to face his foe. He had his sword in place and was ready for his part of the war.

Bakar smirked as he walked down from his seat. He was not at all worried. Before he went to join in, he ordered from the shadows, “Mai, watch over the boy.”

A woman with blonde hair came out from her hiding spot. She did not want to take any action towards either one; her heart was dealing with her own conflict with herself. However, she did not want to see any harm come to the child. She grew shock hearing, “Mai! You don’t have to obey Bakar anymore!”

She glanced down at Yami, who tried to persuade, “You should be free to find your own place of happiness! I almost gave up hope, but I continued to move on to rescue my friends! I know you’ll be able to as well!”

The woman grew astonished. She stared into the teen’s eyes with disbelief. She could tell the adolescent gained his courage for his drive to rescue his friend from the boy who did not give up hope. She questioned which path she should take.

“Enough of your crap!” Bakar scolded. “I tried to train you, but I can see you will refuse to change. You allow yourself to be held back because of that little brat of yours. If you wish to fight, then you shall endure one!”

Yami braced himself. His became surprised seeing Bakar pull out a covered weapon. His heart pounded with anxiety once more; he was aware of what was about to be used against him once more. He also understood why the Dark Stone remained in his room. The first time was when he was given a reason to stay, and now he had to fight against a knife that could do serious damage to his inner organs.

The teen quickly looked back. He saw his friend was slightly awake. He turned forward and was prepared to give himself for someone who gave him so much.

“I accept!” Yami bellowed with courage.

He charged over once more. As many times he attempted to strike, he was blocked by the tiny knife. He knew Bakar would be tough opponent to beat, but he wasn’t about to give up. He tried several more times and then even more after that. The fight between them grew heavier.

Bakar was able to keep up at first. But, as the contention trudged on, he experienced difficulty. He was aware his own energy was draining. When he had the chance, he glanced over at Yugi. He knew he needed the boy’s soul soon; otherwise, all his powers and life force would slip away forever. He quickly lost his focus when the thought of his own death entered his mind. He fell to the floor with the sword pointed at his chest.

Yami gazed down at his enemy. He recalled the Dark Stone held a special liquid that could morph into anything he desired. He no longer cared; he only wished to annihilate his adversary and be free. He was about to strike when he saw Bakar grinning. He knew this would not be a good sign. The man did not move but merely snapped his fingers.

Yami’s heart nearly stopped upon hearing a well-known scream. He turned and noticed Yugi clutching his chest once more. Yami quickly realized he could not rid Bakar so easily. He would need to remove the other spell placed on Yugi.

With one swift motion, Bakar kicked Yami to the ground. He stood up with ease and dusted himself off. He mumbled to himself, “Don’t forget my pet, your bones, your flesh, and your soul… they all belong to me.”

He snapped his fingers once more.

Yugi shrieked in pain when the same burning came to him once more. He tried his hardest to keep out the throbbing but was no match for it. Vaguely, he heard his friends call out to him. He soon felt strange as everything around him went black. His last thoughts were about saving the ones he cared about.

Yami tried to rid himself of his dizziness. He was caught off guard when Bakar had played his usual card. The teen knew he must stand up and continue on. The part where he would not cause harm to his companion was tough. He sensed someone charging for him. He placed up his sword for protection but was in shock seeing who was attacking him.

Using the same deadly knife was another teen with tri-color hair. Yami became bewildered seeing Yugi was trying to destroy him. He used his strength to push the boy slightly away and he cried out, “Yugi! What are you doing!?”

“As I said before, Yami,” Bakar answered, “that little boy belongs to me.”

Yami was in extreme compunction. The person he was trying to save was the one he now had to fight. He kept his weapon close at hand as he tried to block the strikes he was receiving. His eyes were drawn to the radiant on the adolescent’s chest. He understood the spell was taking a full effect.

“Yugi please!” he begged. “You must fight this!”

The two continued on with the unwanted battle.

Mai became absolutely horrified with what she saw. She did not want the one who carried hope in his heart to be turned against his friends. She figured now was her chance to do something. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her energy. A purple, vine like power grew from her and crawled over to the boy in chains.

Mokuba became fascinated with what was wrapping around the chains. Soon, the straps that bide him snapped off. He was free!

He looked at the woman confused. She merely pointed towards the one with brown hair. Mokuba understood the plan. He quietly ran past behind Bakar and sped over towards his brother. As he reached closer he called out, “Seto!”

The fight between the three adolescents came to a halt. Kaiba was in great disbelief his brother ran over to him. Joey and Tristan held back and allowed the brothers to be reunited. Kaiba turned his attention towards the other boys. They all agreed to stop. They glanced over and saw the other brothers were moving on with their own.

“Yugi!” Yami pleaded. “You must stop! You must fight this!”

He felt something hit his body. He looked down and noticed he had been cut. A sudden sting afflicted his arm, but it was not caused by the wound. The sensation was cold and small. Looked at his friend, he noticed tears cascading down Yugi’s face. Yami understood his companion did not give up on the inside and was doing all he could.

“Everyone!” Yami instructed as he kept his defense up. “We all need to reach Yugi!”

“Yug! Fight this man!” Joey shouted.

“Yugi! You’re not alone in this!” Tristan joined.

“Yugi! Don’t give up!” Tea added.

The controlled teen was having difficulty persisting with his moves. His body kept moving, but his heart ordered him to stop. The evil voice within his head was scolding him, but it was slowly being drowned out by the cheers of his buddies.

“Yugi! You can do it!” Mokuba called out.

Kaiba looked at his brother surprised. He was unaware his brother knew the person Yami cared about. Once he saw this, he decided to assist Yami and everyone else. He silently ordered Joey and Tristan to watch over and protect his family. They obeyed. Kaiba carefully crept closer to Bakar. As the villain was distracted with his concentration over the boy, in one swift strike, Kaiba knocked Bakar to the ground.

The man fell but was still aware of his surroundings. He sat up as he rubbed the area he had been hit. He mumbled with anger, “Kaiba, you shall pay dearly for that.”

“You don’t have any power over me anymore.” the teen stated coldly.

Unfortunately, the attack also came into contract with Yugi. The teen stopped his motion and fell to the hard, stone floor as well.

Yami raced towards his friend as he called, “Yugi!”

He examined his brother once more. He didn’t know what else he could do to break Yugi of the wicked curse. He saw the boy waking up, appearing to not be underneath control of the evil person.

“Yugi, are you all right?” Yami asked.

Yugi nodded, “I’m fine.”

The teen stared over at Bakar. He stood up and raced towards the villain. He snatched Bakar by his collar and demanded, “Tell me how to break the spell off of Yugi!”

“Never!” Bakar yelled. “So long as he and I are connected, you’ll never be able to kill me! Once I gain control, the knife Yugi is using will be used to take out your heart in a single strike!”

Yami growled. He no longer cared about himself. He needed some way to beat this game. He was the main character facing the final boss on his last life. All would be well if he just found a way to beat Bakar and rescue his friend.

Yugi noticed the way Yami and Bakar had been talking. He glared at his chest. He spotted both the cursed symbol and his stitches. He then looked over at the knife. Picking it up, he examined it with awe. He was aware this was the weapon he had been using to fight against his friend. He looked up at everyone. All were controlled in some way by the one named Bakar, even Yami.

Yugi remembered how much heartache he had suffered when the two were first separated. Just when they had the chance to be together, they were torn apart. He looked at the knife once more. He realized how powerful the device was; it could cut through anyone in a single motion. He looked back over and saw a gash on his friend’s arm. Yugi swallowed. He knew Yami was doing all he could to set everyone free.

Yugi gazed at his chest once more. He recalled the chilling feeling he encountered whenever he felt a strong, physical throbbing in his chest. He wanted to do all he could to keep it out. He matched the unwanted sensation to the voice of Bakar. He understood the two were connected because of the wicked enchantment placed on him.

“You can’t take me down without him!” Bakar yelled, completely sure victory would be his.

“Not so fast!” replied a voice.

All turned to see Yugi standing up.

Yami kept his grip on his enemy as he gasped, “Yugi?”

All saw the teen holding the knife. Their hearts pumped rapidly with anxiety, wondering who would be bold enough to make the next move in this game. Everyone gasped seeing Yugi placing the knife away from everyone and towards his chest.

“Ha! You honestly want us to believe you have the courage to do such an act!” Bakar mocked while finally losing his calm position.

“Maybe not,” Yugi replied boldly. “But I have learned a lot from those around me, like never giving up hope and finding the courage to do what is hard.”

All became quiet realizing how serious the situation had become.

“Yugi! No!” Yami shouted with all his might. He released from his grip Bakar, who also understood what the teen planned to do. Yami turned and raced back towards his friend. Everything around him turned into slow motion.

Yugi looked around at the group of people. He smiled sweetly as water fell gently down his round cheeks.

He expressed gratitude with all his heart, “Thanks, everyone, for being my friend.”

He closed his eyes but kept the smile on his face.

With one big swoop, he plunged the knife into his chest.

The man named Bakar screamed and fell to the floor with his own blood pumping out of his heart.

“No! Yugi!” Yami shrieked as he raced for his friend. He slid across the ground and caught the body before the small adolescent fell.

“Yugi!” Yami called desperately. “Please, can you hear me?”

The boy made no reply. He had his eyes closed and grew extremely pale. His breathing was incredibly light.

The older shook the younger one. He paid no attention to the tears that slip down his own face. He only begged, “YUGI! NO!”

He frantically did everything he could. He gingerly removed the knife submerged deep into Yugi’s body. He looked at the weapon with disgust. He then gazed down at the teen’s chest. Vaguely throughout the crimson liquid seeping out, he spotted the old stitches came apart. He placed his hand on Yugi’s wound, but he couldn’t stop the blood from flowing. Realizing there wasn’t anything more he could do, he felt the world around him turning dark once more.

He pulled his brother closer as he sobbed softly, “Yugi.”

He was lost. He no longer had a light with him. He didn’t know any magic that could bring someone severely injured back to health. He also was aware of the other unbroken chant. If the teen with magic were to bring back his friend, his greatest enemy would be revived as well. If that were to happen, Yami may lose his companion once more to the madman who wished to sacrifice his soul.

All were in great amount of grief. Some were even in tears. A sweet, innocent boy had managed to change their outlook, even if it were only from a simple conversation or gesture. The smile on the angel may always be in danger, but the angel willingly gave up his own life for the sake of others.

All remembered the times they had with the one named Yugi. His cheerful laugh and happy smile had always brightened up his friend’s days. And when he was feeling down, they spoke with him and help keep his spirits up. Even the ones who did not know him quite well felt lost as well.

Mai recalled the answer she had received. Although all around her was cold, she felt a bit warm when she had her brief moment with Yugi. She only wished she could have acted faster into a plan to assisting the boy escaping.

Mokuba was also in deep mourning. He was thrilled having a new friend to see and play games with after he lost his brother. He only wished he could do something. He glanced up at his older sibling with sad eyes. The taller one was looking at the ground. Just then, an idea occurred to the boy with black hair.

“Seto!” he called. Kaiba turned to his only family and saw a pair of metallic eyes with sadness but also hope. “You have the use of magic; can’t you do anything to help?”

Kaiba turned back to the ground. He had an idea of what to do, but the cost may not be worth the result. He replied with a small voice, “Perhaps, but if we were to bring Yugi back, then we might end up bringing that bastard back as well.”

Joey looked over at the adolescent with brown hair. “Wait, you’re saying there might be a chance to save Yug?”

“Yes.” Kaiba answered as he looked over to the blonde. He added in a cold tone, “But you may already know what else Bakar had done to him.”

“But you’re saying there’s still a chance!” Joey stated with a new hope forming. “If there is, I say we take it!”

“But what about Bakar? He may be brought back as well, and he planned to kill your friend from the start.”

“I know! I say we go ahead and take our chance! If we can get Yugi back, then we’ll go ahead and take on whatever Bakar can throw at us!”

“Yeah!” agreed Tristan with a new flame in his eyes. “Yugi was ready to give himself up. I say we do the same.”

Tea nodded from where she was.

Kaiba glanced over towards the two look-alikes. He knew what it was like to be in deep despair. He would do all he could to get his brother. He looked over at Mokuba, who was prepared to take some action. Within the boy’s eyes, Kaiba understood the one named Yugi had touched his sibling’s lonely life.

Prepared to partake in action, Kaiba boldly said, “There’s a little bottle in the shape of a heart over there on the bookshelf. I‘ll pour the remains on the wound, and Yugi will be healed up.”

“Then let’s do it!” Joey exclaimed.

Kaiba nodded. He dashed to the location of the mystical liquid. He found with ease of the heart shaped bottle. He then raced towards the fallen adolescent.

Yami looked up to see Kaiba. He barely heard the plan that was formed, but his heart was ready to take on any evil once more. He was desperate to do all he could to save his friend’s life. He took the container from the other teen’s hands as he wanted to pour the liquid for his friend. He recalled he had to do the same act he despised. He knocked that memory out of his head concentrating on his pal.

Mai glanced over at the fallen body of her former boss. She then gazed over at the group of people doing all they could to bring a friend back. She figured she could use this opportunity to finish up her task of assisting the one who gave her hope.

“Listen up, everyone else!” she ordered sternly. The rest of the group turned to see a strong willed woman. Mai stepped closer to everyone and instructed, “There may be a chance to get Yugi back and keep Bakar out.”

All the friends listened with great attention. Mai had the adolescent’s stand in a circle around the two main teens while Yami would retain his position with his brother. He had yet to pour any of the magical blue liquid, and his heart was pounding with anxiety. He kept a good grip on the smaller one and carried on with his hope flaming. His eyes drew over to his weapon.

“Wait, Mai,” Yami called as an idea formed. “We need to break the Dark Stone as it has a magical property that can be transformed into my will!”

The woman and girl with brown hair quickly sped over. The two accepted the sword that reverted back into gravel.

Yami stayed in his position and explained, “Break the rock over Bakar! I command the liquid to place a curse on him!”

The two quickly went over and did the deed. Dripping from the magical stone came out a deep violet fluid. Mai added with great resentment, “Let’s see how _you_ like having a curse.”

Tea did not want to see the woman drowned by revenge. Now was the time to allow light to enter her heart, not darkness. Mai nodded in understanding. They went back to their positions to continue with another hope.

Everyone joined hands and close their eyes. As the innocent soul was to be brought back, they would all need to concentrate hard to keep the evil one out. The group was ready for their mission. Yami looked around and was prepared. He glanced down at his buddy, who became extremely pale.

“ _Hold on, Yugi_ ,” Yami prayed.

He commenced the pouring of the blue liquid over the wound. The magical fluid flopped over on the red. Slowly, the scarlet color vanished. At a snail like pace, the gash was closing.

Everyone kept focus as the challenge became greater. All around them was a battle between light and darkness. They all tried to aim their attention towards the innocent soul that was their friend.

Yami placed one hand on Yugi’s chest and did the same. He was determined having his light return to him once more. His heart was distressed at all the trouble the small boy had been in because of him. The taller one prayed deeply for the scars on the young one to heal.

Soon, all became fatigued. They turned silent as the light went through and the evil was kept out.

Yami opened his eyes and waited with great anxiety for his friend to do the same. His heart was broken when the boy had yet to awaken.

Yami pulled his brother closer as he sobbed once more, “Yugi.”

Tears nearly came over everyone once more. They felt all they accomplished was done in vain. They all could only try and image one last time of the boy smiling.

However, all were shocked hearing a small voice, “What’s everyone… crying about?”

Yami flashed his eyes open. He met with another pair of bliss, violet, puppy dog ones. His heart cried out with pure happiness. He was completely ecstatic having his friend all right. He may have wanted to say a lot, but he realized his pal was still exhausted.

In a calm matter, he answered, “We’re all just happy to have you back.”

“I’m glad… to still have… everyone.” Yugi replied with a weak smile.

Yami continued to stand strong as he whispered, “Are you all right?”

Yugi nodded waveringly, “Yeah… I’m fine… I’m just… really tired… right now…”

With that, the boy closed his heavy eyes. Darkness may have been around him, but it felt different. He decided to welcome it as he went to sleep. He may have had his soul return to his body, but his physique was still recovering from his huge battle.

Yami examined the boy once more. He was in bliss seeing all appeared well. He looked down at the boy’s chest and smiled. He was very pleased with what he saw—or rather—didn’t see. He was very glad having a bright radiant in his life once more.

The older pulled the younger closer and whispered tenderly, “Go ahead and rest, my light.”

**To be continued…**


	15. Ending with Friendship

**Chapter 15: Ending with Friendship**

“I need someone to bring ice, blankets, and prepare a nice snack for Yugi to eat.” ordered a teen with tri-color hair.

“I’ll go get the ice!” offered Joey.

“I got the blanket!” Tristan reserved.

“Heh, I guess I’ll find something edible for Yugi.” Tea laughed softly.

The three adolescents were off. The only people to remain in a bedroom were the two brothers. Yami took a seat on a chair close to the mattress. Yugi was in a peaceful sleep on his bed. Even while he rested, he was assisted into changing from his rags to a clean white shirt and comfortable dark blue pants.

The older one tenderly squeezed the younger one’s hand. To him it seemed like an eternity had passed since he could take part in the kind gesture. He couldn’t believe he almost lost his closet friend. Everyone managed to escape the dark building as it vanished from sight. Everything was gone, including the mad wizard.

Nearly all went their separate ways. Kaiba and Mokuba wanted to catch up with each other, but Mai had disappeared before anything could be said to her. Yami wished he would have thank them in some way for all their help. He knew without them, he may have lost his brother one way or another forever.

Yami had aid to taking Yugi home and making sure he had a safe recovery. All three companions had continued to do their part. A day or so had passed since the innocent soul went into his sleep. Throughout that time, Yami had noticed he had not truly been able to use any magic. He wondered if it was because he no longer carried within his heart such rage anymore. He was curious if anyone else had theirs ceased as well. Over time he no longer cared. He had a new purpose to fulfill: Living life with the ones he cared about.

As Yami stayed in position, he became lost in thought. In his eyes, Yugi was far braver than he was. The small teen gave up his own life in order to save everyone. The act he committed took plenty of courage but also heart. A weak one would have easily been destroyed, but Yugi managed to survive. Yami smiled remembering it was him and everyone else who had a burning passion to rescue their companion.

His heart almost stopped when he saw a pair of puppy dog eyes open slightly. The sleepy, purple irises looked over in his direction. A peaceful smile grew over the young boy’s face.

With a soft voice, he greeted, “Hey, Yami.”

“Hey, Yugi,” a whisper welcomed. “You all right?”

“Yeah, I‘m fine.” the small teen replied as he closed his eyes.

He was still tired from his rest, but he grew overjoyed seeing his friend. He was assisted to sitting up against his headboard. He opened his pupils once more and stared down at his sheets. He recalled all the events that led up to his near death. He was unsure of what happened after his black out. He was also concerned about a feeling he had while he was trying keep a dark force out when he was having his soul kept in place.

“Is something wrong?” Yami asked as he broke through.

Yugi sighed, “I’m not sure… But… it just felt like there was something strange going on.”

“What do you mean?” the older one questioned.

“As in…” the younger struggled to answer. “When everyone was trying to bring me back, whenever I felt something trying to push Bakar out, whenever I had déjà vu, or even before any of this started, I just felt something strange.”

Yami pondered the response. He understood the way his friend felt. In his experience he had the use of magic. He recalled the boy’s nightmares and the irony of it.

He placed one hand on his brother’s face as he guessed, “Perhaps you also had the ability to use magic.”

“And if I did, why wasn’t I taken?” Yugi wondered out loud.

“Bakar may have not wanted to train you if he needed you for something else.” Yami answered.

The smaller one thought about the reply. He recalled to the very first meeting he had with the evil magician as well the dark ambition he had in mind. He nodded in understanding.

Yami didn’t want his brother to worry so much after just waking up. He repositioned his hands.

The smaller one glanced up and saw the older one smiled. He did so as well.

“Hey! Look who’s finally awake!” cheered a voice.

The room came alive as Joey, Tristan, and Tea entered.

The blonde took his small friend and gave him a great bear hug. He exclaimed, “Yug’s awake! Way to be a man and stand up for everyone!”

“Yeah, that took a lot of guts!” Tristan praised.

“We’re all glad to see you awake.” Tea smiled. She held up a tray filled with rice balls.

Yugi looked at them with great attention. Since he had been asleep for quite some time, he was famished. He debated which one to pick first.

“Here, Yug!” Joey offered one with glee. “If you’re hungry, then eat mine!”

“No!” Tristan protested. “We’re trying to make sure he’s recovering; not poison him!”

“Mine will _not_ do that!” Joey defended.

“Yes it will! It’s hard as a rock!” Tristan argued.

“This is good!” cried another voice.

Both boys turned to see their smallest friend had already taken a bite. They noticed he was holding one made by their female companion. Tea smiled in triumph.

“Try one, Yami,” Yugi tried to persuade as he took another bite.

The girl blushed a bit as the other male reached for one of her rice balls. He took a nibble and smiled.

The room lied in silence for a bit. Everything seemed to have returned to normal.

Yami glanced around. His life appeared to be the same before the entire event even started. He reflected back to the mission. Everyone completed their part and did not give up. Yami was grateful for his group.

“Thanks for everything,” he finally mentioned with gratitude.

All were pleased they could live their lives once more without the fear of a villain with some sort of use for magical powers.

“Yeah, thanks everyone.” Yugi joined in. He was happy he remembered he had a life with friends and people who cared about him.

The two boys with tri-color hair said at the same time, “Especially you, Tea.”

The girl’s face grew even redder. After such a terrifying adventure, she was also happy everything was settling down. She may have been scared from time to time, but everyone made it through with the support of their friends, new and old.

She did her best to hide her emotion as she replied, “That’s what friends are for.”

“Yep, for the good and bad.” Joey remarked as he placed his hands behind his head relaxed.

“And whether they have mystical powers or not.” Tristan added.

Everyone couldn’t help but laugh.

“So, Yug, you’re probably thirsty, aren’t you?” Joey inquired. “I’ll go get you some orange juice so you can feel better!”

“No! I’ll bring you some green tea and honey!” Tristan insisted.

The two immature teens quickly left the room.

Tea sighed a bit, “I’ll just bring you a glass of water.”

Yugi nodded.

After the girl left the room, a loud crash could be heard from downstairs.

Yami chuckled a bit. He stood up, took the empty tray off the boy’s bed, and placed it on the table. He was relieved their mystical adventure was over, and he could now be around the ones who cared about him and vice versa. He was about to leave when he felt someone tugging on his shirt. He glanced down and noticed his friend seemed upset by something.

He took a seat back on the mattress and asked, “What’s wrong?”

He grew surprised the young teen embraced him. The former could feel the latter tremble a bit. He understood his companion’s pain. He returned the hug with firm but caring embrace. He nearly lost someone he cared so much about again. They were both ecstatic to still have each other after all they went through.

“I… I was so lonely… w-without you.” a tiny voice confessed.

Yami brushed his friend’s hair to sooth him. He admitted tenderly, “I was as well.”

“The house… was really quiet… without everyone.” Yugi mentioned through his soft sobbing. “And even when my memories were gone… I still missed you.”

“You managed to break the spell on your own.” Yami praised kindly. “And you were willing to sacrifice yourself for the happiness of others.”

“I know you did the same as well.” Yugi whispered. “But… just remember… No matter what happens, I’ll always be your friend.”

“Thank you.” Yami said with full happiness in his heart. “And you will always be my light.”

The older assisted the younger to stand up. They figured it would be fine if they went outside for a bit. Yami was determined to have a greater trust with his friends. He went back to cleaning up the tray as Yugi changed outfits.

He became startled hearing Yugi scream, “Yami! Look!”

The older turned around and saw Yugi pointing to his bare chest. The scars of both the knife and his stitches were gone. Yami smiled. He had seen the gash heal and was in bliss knowing the small one would never have to suffer under any more physical heartache.

Yugi ran up to his friend and gave him another hug. He still had no regrets about either of his actions, but he was very joyful to be healed.

Yami laughed as he suggested, “Let’s get back to our preparations before the sun goes down.”

Yugi smiled and continued.

Once he had finished, the two went downstairs. All three other friends were ready to go out and have fun.

Just then, a knock came around at the door. In the door stood Joey’s sister.

“Hey, Serenity!” Joey greeted with joy. “What are you doing here?”

“I was actually following another group of people who said they were on their way to visit Yugi.” she replied with a smile. “I heard he wasn’t feeling well, and I wanted to visit him.”

“Huh? What group of people?” Joey questioned with a nervous smile. He and everyone looked behind the girl and saw two males and one woman. There was a very tall adolescent with brown hair, and boy with thick, black hair and a woman with blonde hair and purple eyes.

“What is everyone doing here!?” Joey questioned confused.

“But I heard you talk about this place before.” Serenity defended, misunderstanding her brother.

“Hey! I wanted to see how Yugi was doing!” Mokuba raced up and joined in as Kaiba and Mai stayed in back.

The group of close friends looked down at their small buddy. Yugi was just as baffled about the sudden visitors as everyone else. However, he smiled and welcomed everyone inside.

“I hope I wasn’t intruding on anything,” Mai said, feeling a little shy.

“Don’t worry about it; you weren’t!” Yugi replied with a giant grin.

“I wanted to be sure you were ok!” Mokuba explained. “And I wanted to show you how I finally solved that game pattern I bought the other day.”

“You did? That’s great!” the small teen with gold bangs praised.

“Hey, since we have a lot of people, we should party!” Joey exclaimed.

Yugi looked at Yami with his eyes begging once more. To his, and everyone’s surprised, Yami replied with a smile, “If you think you’re up to it.”

“Yes!” Yugi shouted with joy.

Snacks and drinks were gathered together. Music played from a stereo, and people talked. A few board games were provided as well. All were glad to be done with magic and begin to live normal lives.

As Joey moved his piece, he realized he landed in some muck and had to lose a turn. Annoyed, he threw his piece to the wall. He turned to face his friends who were laughing at the situation. The blonde’s attention was caught by the other blonde. He remembered how much effort the woman had placed into keeping the dark wizard’s soul away.

Joey took his seat and causally asked, “So, Mai, where do you plan to go after this?”

The woman smirked as she replied, “What’s it to you?”

“I was just thinking,” Joey replied, “you could come to my apartment. My pops ain’t home, and you’re welcomed to stay.”

Mai was taken aback by the offer.

“Joey, are you seriously trying to make a move on an older woman?” Tristan questioned.

“That’s low!” Tea criticized.

“That was not my intention!” Joey protested. “I was just trying to be gentleman! I know what it’s like to not want to go to an empty room!”

“Well, Mai,” Tea turned to the lady. “If you would like, you can come stay with me for a bit. All of us girls can have a women’s day together!”

“I’m on board for that!” Serenity cheered.

Joey seemed hurt. “Hey, you’re not going to invite us guys over?”

“I said it’s a girl’s night out!” Tea spat as she stuck out her tongue.

“Well that’s not fair!” the blonde male whined.

Tristan placed his arm over the boy’s shoulder and said, “Let them have their fun. We can always sneak over and spy on them!”

“Sounds like a plan!” Joey cheered.

“Huh? Why would you want to do that?” Mokuba questioned.

“Well, you see Mokuba,” Joey began and he placed a shoulder over the boy. “When a boy becomes a man, he develops certain interests—” he was interrupted when a fist impaled the side of his head. He rubbed his hurt area as he shouted, “What was that for!”

“Don’t corrupt my brother!” Kaiba scolded with rage.

“I wasn’t corrupting him!” Joey protested. “I was only teaching him the facts of life!”

The last line caused the taller one to hit the shorter one once more.

Joey retaliated, “You want to go for another round!”

“I’ll beat you just like last time!” Kaiba stated boldly with a smirk.

Everyone ignored the situation; they believed it would be best to allow the two to knock each other, so they could have some peace.

Just then, there was another knock at the door. Both Yugi and Yami went over to answer once more. Yugi’s eyes widen seeing who arrived.

“Grandpa!” the teen shouted with joy as he ran over to hug his family member.

The old man smiled, “It’s good to see you!”

“Did you have a good time?” Yami asked.

Solomon grinned widely, “Yes! I had an absolutely great time!”

“Gramps! You’re back!” Joey exclaimed as he left his losing battle. He grinned widely, “Did you meet any nice ladies?”

“Well, let’s see…” the elderly man tried to reminisce when he noticed he received an evil glare coming from his grandson. Yugi was more so upset his grandfather took so long to get back.

“Sorry about that, Yugi.” Solomon said as he rubbed the back of his head. “But I was having such a great time, and then I ran into my old friend, Professor Harkins, and well…”

Yugi sighed as he understood.

The old man sprung from where he was in the home portion of the house. He grew surprised seeing so many new faces. He turned and asked, “What’s been going on?”

The smallest teen was unsure of how to answer. He didn‘t want to worry his family right after the man returned from a much needed vacation.

Yami stepped in and casually answered, “Oh, not much. Just meeting some new friends.”

“Well, I say let’s keep this part going!” Solomon exclaimed with joy, not quite ready to return to his mundane job.

Everyone else attended back to the giant festival.

Yami closed the door and smiled. He was quite glad his life had not returned to normal. If it had, he may not have had such a chance to meet new people and share his new found hope with everyone. Even though almost everyone pondered if the powers disappeared or not, Yami was not too concerned. He much rather have the comfort and strength of his friends over powers filled with mystery and rage.

He thought about the events before and after the great affair. He had changed because of both the good and the bad people around him. He knew the same had happened to Yugi. He did not care if the two were drawn because of their powers since he enjoyed his time with his companion and brother. He realized even though the two were different, they were still friends.

“Yami, are you ok?” Yugi asked with worry. He knew how much trouble his brother had gone through, especially to help take care of him. He relaxed seeing the older one smiling endlessly.

Yami replied honestly with all his heart filled with happiness and gratitude, “Yes, I’m fine.”

**The End**


End file.
